Did You Feel Prepared After You Completed the Touro University Worldwide MFT Program?
If you’d prefer listening to the audio instead of reading, here’s the YouTube link for this blog post.
If you’re short on time, feel free to read the bold font only.
Someone asked me if I felt Touro University Worldwide (TUW) prepared me to be a therapist. My answer isn’t a concrete yes or no.
I had no prior mental health experience, so TUW provided me with part of the foundation for my work. I think that, at some point, all of the theoretical knowledge in the world doesn’t make a difference. Don’t get me wrong, you do need the fundamentals that come from learning theories and concepts.
However, during my practicum, I gained most of the practical knowledge about being a therapist from my supervisor. Additionally, I’m uncertain as to whether any master’s program, online or offline, could have prepared me to work with the high-acuity population that I started with as a brand-new therapist.
TUW is COAMFTE accredited…or at least they were when I made the video this blog post is based on. So, they’re required to have a curriculum that covers working with clients who are experiencing suicidal ideation. In that course, they recommended a separate training that you have to pay for because it’s outside of/unaffiliated with the school, but ultimately, I learned to work with high-acuity clients on the job.
In general, though, it’s not out of the norm for novice therapists to work with high-risk populations regardless of which school they attended or how much training they had. This is more indicative of a larger systemic problem, but that’s an issue for another post.
One of the last things I’ll say about feelings of preparedness is that this work feels really natural to me, and that’s something that no amount of schooling or training can teach you.
Ultimately, I learned a little in this program, but I had so much more to learn in the field while doing the work. Some people who left the school may have felt unprepared, but I felt fine. My supervisor was always available, was incredibly helpful, and super supportive so I’m sure that had something to do with me feeling okay about everything.
Disclaimer:
I am not affiliated with, sponsored by, or compensated by Touro University Worldwide. I’m former student and paid tuition just like any other student during my time there.
Everything shared here is based on my own experiences and opinions. It is provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a guarantee, promise, or assurance of any particular experience, admission outcome, or result if you decide to apply to or enroll in the program. Every experience is different, and I encourage you to double-check with official university sources and to continue doing your own research beyond this site to make the best decisions for you.