What is a Therapist?
A therapist is an individual that is professionally trained to help people deal with physical or emotional pain. Therapists are those that take their profession seriously, specializing in one particular area of therapy, such as physical therapy, or respiratory therapy, and rarely cater to multiple fields of therapy. Unlike other professions related to the medical industry, not all therapists need a specific degree to practice therapy. An individual can become a therapist with any type of master’s degree related to therapy, healthcare, counseling, or substance abuse. A therapist will typically fall under one of the following types, beginning with the most popular:
- Physical Therapist
- Massage Therapist
- Respiratory Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Radiation Therapist
- Child Therapist
Therapist vs. Psychologist
A therapist and a psychologist have similarities in that they both strive towards the healing of an individual, but they do have their differences. The biggest difference is that a psychologist is in the business of analyzing problems in order to find a path for healing, and a therapist is in the business of taking action in a direct way to heal whatever problems a patient may be dealing with. Often times, poor mental health can lead to deteriorated physical health. Therefore, when a psychologist improves the mind, a person’s physical well-being also improves.
Therapist Near Me / Find a Therapist
There are many ways to best find a therapist near you. The best is to perform a search within your health insurance provider. Therapists that are covered under your insurance will greatly reduce costs out of pocket. Use websites such as GoodTherapy to find a therapist by using your ZIP code. Therapists in the website clearly state whether or not they work with insurance companies. Finally, use Google Maps to performs a local search in your area.
Therapist Salary
The following information is based on the average salary and hourly pay for physical therapists.