How much training is necessary for different interventions/modalities?
This might be a complicated question, so bear with me. For context, I’m an LPC early in my career (practicing for about 4 years and licensed for half a year), and I’m looking to start niche-ing down into a specialty, or at the very least get some additional training in a modality that can give me better direction and confidence.
Here’s my main issue: Our field makes it incredibly confusing to determine how much training is necessary before utilizing a technique in session. To be clear, I’m not talking about marketing (I’m aware that someone with ~some~ training in EMDR may use EMDR in a session, but not market themselves as EMDR-certified). With so much ambiguity about what makes a therapist “qualified” to use a certain technique, it’s hard for me to determine whether to invest in $1000+ trainings or just do my own self-study and go to necessary CEU’s to supplement my knowledge.
For example, I use ACT as a core guiding framework for a lot of my sessions, especially for anxiety and OCD. I’ve considered utilizing ERP, as it is the gold standard for OCD treatment, but getting certified in this can cost thousands of dollars. I see that other therapists on Psychology Today who are NOT certified with ERP still claim to use this in session. Is this ethical? Is this a grey area? Are there certain modalities that require much more extensive training than others to ethically utilize with clients?
I hope this makes sense, and I appreciate any insight or experiences from others with this issue!