The fundamental duty of a social therapist is to analyse patterns of human interaction in order to come up with workable answers to issues that crop up in everyday life. In simple words, it is the job of social counsellors to investigate how people and groups interact with one another, how they affect one another, and how they view one another. Social therapists often find employment in corporate or educational environments, where they mediate conflicts and provide advisory services. Stay with us to know the career path of becoming a social counsellor or therapist. Necessary Skills to Be a Social Counsellor People who are going through challenges or life-changing events, such as the loss of a family member, or patients whose chronic diseases interfere with their general quality of life may benefit from the services provided by psychologists.  Therefore, it is essential to display a variety of talents relevant to the subject of social therapy if one wants to be successful in the profession of social therapy. The following are examples of some of these skills: Effective communication  For social therapists to be successful, they need to have strong communication skills in order to comprehend their patients and communicate effectively with them as well as their families. Read Should You See a Therapist? 8 Surefire Signs You Need Help Observation and documentation  The exceptional ability to observe and documentation is necessary on the following matters - ability to identify patterns in clients, such as body language of people, especially the client’s body language - ability to watch interactions among clients and others - ability to record interactions throughout sessions, are all necessary skills for social therapists. Capability for analysis  Social therapists need strong analytical abilities in order to collect the information obtained during sessions. Moreover, the counsellor should have the ability to assess what conclusions can be reached from the research that has been undertaken and the feedback that has been received from clients. Read Discomfort Anxiety v Depression: Differences, Ways of Prevention Relationship-building abilities  Social therapists are able to deal with a wide variety of clients, patients, family members, and other health professionals because of their relationships and people abilities. Steps to become a Therapist or Social Counsellor  The central emphasis of all psychologists is on the brain, behaviour, and the connections that exist between the three. Those who decide to major in psychology have a wide variety of career options to select from including social counselling or therapist. These are the steps to develop a career as a social counsellor or therapist. Education Education for social therapists starts with a four-year bachelor's degree program. In addition to basic courses, psychology, sociology, counselling, and other comparable electives are emphasised. Highly suggested is a bachelor's degree in psychology or counselling. The individual must enrol in a master's degree program in order to receive a master's degree in counselling. Many places of employment recognize both a master's degree in social work and a social work licence for social therapists. Read Suicide Prevention: How to Deal with Suicidal Thoughts? Child development, the process of ageing, social behaviour, and cognitive psychology are some of the areas in which the students with psychology-majors could choose to specialise. Employment opportunities are available for them at educational institutions such as colleges and universities, as well as research institutes, government agencies, and non-governmental organisations. Post Graduate Training Because the prerequisites for clinical experience might differ from state to state, it is essential to familiarise oneself with the regulations of the state in which one wishes to engage in professional practice and to adhere to those regulations. According to the American Counseling Association, however, you will normally be needed to complete around 3,000 hours of supervised counselling experience before you can become a licensed professional counsellor. After completing a program leading to a master's degree and prior to obtaining a licence to practise as a therapist, you may use this external link. Read How to Overcome Depression Without Medication? Take a Licensure Exam In order to get a licence to practise therapy in any country or state, applicants must first demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills necessary by passing a thorough test. The process of exam and certification may vary from country to country. In the United States, there are several of these examinations, but the one that is taken the most often is the National Counselor Examination, which is carried out by the National Board for Certified Counsellors (NBCC). On the website of the NBCC, you will discover a directory of state boards that contains appropriate contact information, available licences, needed tests that vary from state to state, and information on how to register for exams and when they will be given. Apply for the Government Sector or Open a Private Firm Government sectors often call for experienced social counsellors for different posts. Just keep an eye on the regular job circulars. Apply for the post which matches your expertise and education. In Bangladesh, you might have to have 3 to 7 years of experience to get a Govt. role. Another good option is to open your own private firm. Read Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents Bottom Line With the advancement of technology the pace of our life has increased. Now people have no or less time for sharing problems with others. Due to stress in career, family and business, many people are falling into chronic depression. As a result, the necessity of social counselling or therapy is increasing day by day. So far, we have discussed how to start a career as a social counsellor or therapist. However, the steps of certification may vary depending upon countries, states and regions. Hope it helps! 

Mental health is a sophisticated issue that doesn’t get talked about as often as other, more visible health issues. However, it still affects a person and the consequences can be far more aggravating. Mental health issues may arise from several underlying factors. Whether it’s the inability to cope with something, stress, or even PTSD, the signs are almost always there. Yet it's often dismissed as something that will heal over time. But the fact of the matter is, time doesn’t heal, therapy does. Let’s discuss when to see a therapist. 8 Sure Signs You Need To See a Therapist  Getting overwhelmed the Surrounding Do you often get overwhelmed by your surroundings? If yes, this is one of the earliest signs of declining mental health. The sense of overwhelming stress arises from stress. Say you are a student or a professional. The exam or the workplace activities might feel increasingly overwhelming. A crippling fear of consequences sets and you feel the constant urge to run away from everything. The sense of detachment is created from the extreme stress or less than your brain is coping with. This specific problem not only has a short-term consequence but also tends to reduce cognitive emotions in the long run. Therapy can help overcome the stress or trauma by the means of dealing with a single issue at a time. Read: How to Stay Physically Active during Pregnancy Disrupted sleep cycle A disrupted sleep cycle can also prompt mental health issues. Too much sleep or lack of it is a clear sign that the body and the mind aren’t in sync. A study conducted in 2018 shows that sleeplessness or oversleeping tendencies induce mood swings and depression among the participants. A continuous sleepless habit may be a sign of anxiety, ADHD, or even bipolar disorder which might lead to other complications. Many people opt for sleeping pills as a cure. But that isn’t the right approach. A proper therapy will help to identify the underlying cause behind the sleeplessness and work to find a solution without medical interventions. Read Discomfort Anxiety v Depression: Differences, Ways of Prevention Reduced social interactions Do you feel like shutting yourself out from everyone? One of the clear signs of mental health problems is the tendency to shy away from social interaction, friends,p and even relationships. If you feel like distancing yourself from stuff, chances are you are going through the mental issue of social isolation. And like a lot of other symptoms, it also poses a serious threat in the long run, not just mentally, but physically too. Social isolation mainly crops from anxiety and depression. But instead of curing any of the issues, social isolation only aggravates the problem. Therapy can help in the process of social reintegration. Perpetual anxiety The thing about anxiety attacks is that you can tell when it's happening. But the worst part is, that you cannot control when it happens or why it happens. People suffering from anxiety can get triggered by anything. Read: Eating Disorders in Children, Adolescents, Adults: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Ways to Help The lack of control over the situation is why it's important to get therapy. As the situation with anxiety aggravates, you will see that you are consumed more and more with bad thoughts with seemingly no way out. This is when you know that you must seek therapy. Therapy will steadily divert your mind from negative thoughts and usher new and positive horizons. Careless attitude This is one of the most prominent symptoms of clinical depression. As human beings, we are driven by a higher purpose in life. There is constant social pressure and even personal goals to achieve or do something with this life. This notion of achievement may often become stringent on many. The social and family pressure may often become unbearable leading to clinical depression. An aggravated form of depression may also lead to self-harm. Read: Dyslexia: How to help kids with this learning disability The best way to identify the issue is by looking at the pattern of behavior. If you yourself find to be disinterested in everyday things. Trying to run away from responsibilities and an overall sense of detachment is also a sign of clinical depression. Taking regular counsel and therapy is useful against clinical depression in different studies. Feeling of hopeless Feeling hopeless is also a sign of clinical depression. Except it leads to a far more severe consequence compared to a careless attitude. The sense of hopelessness is an advanced form of clinical depression. Here a person loses interest in everything and finds themselves feeling hollow from within. Many a time, the sense of hopelessness leads to self-harm and even suicidal tendencies. Read Suicide Prevention: How to Deal with Suicidal Thoughts? Problem concentrating If you think you’re having trouble concentrating on something, chances are you might be showing early signs of mental health problems. It’s not uncommon to feel inattentive for a day or two at work. But when it lasts for days or weeks at a stretch, it’s a sign that something is off. The lack of concentration not only hurts the professional life but also takes a toll on the personal and social life. It all encircles on the similar problem of feeling reclusive and disjointed over and over again. Irregular eating habit This is also an early indicator of clinical depression. Irregular eating habits advance to become an eating disorder in the long run. Read How to Overcome Depression Without Medication? Due to an eating disorder, a person may either gain or lose weight significantly. In addition to the health risks, it also makes a person emotionally vulnerable and people go through it as a coping mechanism. The only way out of an eating disorder is through therapy. Since the situation is conducive to a coping mechanism, the mind needs to be diverted away from the anxiety as a possible cure. Final Words Therefore, in our regular life, mental health issues and clinical depressions should not be overlooked. It makes a person emotionally and socially vulnerable. The inability to address or share the problem only advances the symptoms. That in turn pushes a person more towards self-harm and reclusive behavior. So far, we have discussed 8 sure-fire signs that you or your loved one should seek therapy immediately. Read Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents Numerous studies have concluded that psychotherapy is a proven way to address physical and mental ailments since most mental issues tend to reflect on physical well-being as well. That said, do not sit on the symptoms. Get help for your own sake and the sake of your loved ones. 

A former personal assistant to Amber Heard said she never saw the actress suffer any physical abuse at the hands of then-husband Johnny Depp — but she said Heard once spit in her face when she asked for a higher salary. Heard descended into screaming fits of blind rage, sent incoherent text messages at 4 a.m. and was often drunk and high on illegal drugs, Kate James testified in a video deposition that was played in court Thursday during the trial for Depp's libel suit against Heard. Depp, on the other hand, was very calm, almost shy, "like a total Southern gentleman,” James said. Also read: Bollywood: Ranbir, Alia finally tie the knot! The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor has accused Heard of indirectly defaming him in a 2018 opinion piece that she wrote for The Washington Post. Heard refers to herself in the article as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” The piece doesn’t name Depp. But his attorneys argue that it clearly references a restraining order that Heard sought in May 2016, right after Depp told her he wanted a divorce. Depp denies abusing Heard, but Heard's lawyers say evidence will prove that he did. The actor's denials, they argue, lack credibility because he frequently drank and used drugs to the point of blacking out and failing to remember anything he did. The video testimony from James offered an inverse view: Depp was the peaceful one, she said, while Heard was frequently intoxicated and verbally abusive, including to her own mother and sister. “Her poor sister was treated like a dog that you kicked, basically,” James said. James, who worked for Heard from 2012 to 2015, said she was paid “very poorly.” She said she was hired with an initial salary of $25 an hour and that her duties ranged from picking up Heard's dry cleaning to talking with the actress's Hollywood agents. James said she also was tasked with picking up two copies of any magazine that featured Heard and storing them in the garage to prevent Depp from seeing them. Heard went into a “blind rage” when James failed to place the magazines in the garage, James said. Regarding Heard and Depp's time together, James said Heard was a “very dramatic person” who was deeply insecure in the relationship. Heard often called James to cry and complain about Depp, she said. “I remember one time she called me when she was alone in New York City, and she was crying and walking around the streets," James said. She said she told Heard to go inside: "I was worried that the paparazzi might take a photo of her.” Some of the deposition focused on a text message that Depp had sent to James after he and Heard split up. Depp's text read: “Come over for a spot of purple and we'll fix her flabby ass nice and good.” Also read: Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean win big at CMT Music Awards A lawyer asked if “spot of purple” meant wine and whether “her” meant Heard. James said she didn't want to speculate. “This is the way he writes,” James said of Depp. “It's very random and you don't sort of question it. ... He writes in a very abstract way.” Lawyers also presented a video deposition of Laurel Anderson, a couple’s therapist who worked with Heard and Depp in 2015, when they were ages 29 and 52, respectively. Anderson said both suffered childhood abuse. As a couple, they were engaged in “mutual abuse," she testified. Heard’s father beat her, Anderson said, adding, “It was a point of pride to her if she felt disrespected to initiate a fight.” Heard would also rather be in a fight with Depp than see him leave, and “would strike him to keep him there,” Anderson said. The therapist recalled a time when Heard told her that Depp “was ‘stepping up,’ as she would say, on a lot of drugs." “And she slapped him because he was being incoherent and talking about being with another woman,” Anderson said. She noted that Depp’s mother was in the hospital at the time. Anderson said Depp told her that Heard “gave as good as she got.” She also said that in at least one session in which she saw Heard alone, the actress told her that Depp hit her. She said Heard showed her bruises, both in photos and in person. Anderson said Heard also told her that Depp at one point allegedly said, "No one likes you. You’re getting fame from me. I’m falling out of love with you. You’re a whore.” Anderson also said that Heard’s “jackhammer style of talking” and habit of cutting off Depp overwhelmed him. Heard “wanted to want to divorce” but also didn't, and was still figuring out what to do, Anderson said. “She loved him. He loved her. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that what they were doing wasn’t healthy.” Both Depp and Heard are expected to testify at the trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court, scheduled for six weeks, along with actors Paul Bettany and James Franco and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.