There are many different fields of therapy and it is a career that can be specialized or generalized, however all Therapists have the same goal of helping better the lives of their patients. 
  
The first step to becoming a Therapist is to narrow down the kind of therapy you are interested in and completing the necessary education. In the United States most Therapists will study Psychology in their bachelor’s degree and further their education with an advanced degree that is more specific to what they want to continue their career in. Therapists need to further their education in their desired field in order to pursue their career, post graduate studies will allow them to advance. 
  
While studying a graduate degree in therapy, aspiring Therapists have the opportunity to gain clinical experience, this is necessary in order to become licensed. Different states have different licensure laws, meaning that the different conditions that must be met will vary. Some states require a certain number of clinical hours to be completed or a certain amount of credits from an accredited postgraduate degree. It is important to look into the specific requirements for the state you want to practice in. 
  
Once licensed by the state you wish to practice in a Therapist can begin their practice. Therapists can work in many different environments including their own practice, health centers, private practices and more. 
  
Things to know before becoming a ­ Therapist

• Therapists can specialize in a number of different fields, such as behavioural therapy, recreational therapy, family therapy and more. The requirements for each of these will be different so it is important to decide which path you want to take while beginning your studies as a Therapist. 
• Therapists are not Psychologists. The education to become a Therapist does not qualify you to do the same thing as a Psychologist. There are different educational and state licensure laws around the two careers. One of the major differences is that Psychologists can make clinical evaluations of their patients and diagnose mental illness, where as a Therapist can not do this.  
• Becoming a Therapist will take time. Due to the schooling that is required for this career path it can take up for seven years to become qualified, and even longer if you chose to specialize in an area. 
• Therapists do not prescribe any kinds of medicine and are not at liberty to tell their patients what they should do or take. Therapists use techniques that help people modify their behaviour  and solve interpersonal issues.