The Impact of Therapist Credentials on Perceptions of the Psychotherapist

Objective Since the COVID-19 pandemic, psychotherapy has more frequently been promoted and practiced online. Past research suggests that displaying psychotherapist credentials in the therapy office affects perceptions of the psychotherapist. The aim of the present study was to assess whether credential information from an online source would have a similar impact. Method Participants ( N = 168) viewed two emulations of psychotherapist websites. One of these web pages included credentials and the other did not. After viewing each web page, participants rated their perceptions of the psychotherapist’s expertness and likely empathy. Results Analysis revealed that psychotherapists were viewed as more expert when professional credentials were provided. The same was true for perceived empathy, but only when the psychotherapist and participant were racially matched. The study failed to find evidence that psychotherapists were viewed differently based on their years of experience. Conclusion The study results suggest that prospective clients would be more likely to perceive a psychotherapist positively when the therapist’s credentials are provided. Such a finding supports the inclusion of credential and training information when advertising treatment services. Supplementary Material File (credentials ms blind 1-19-25.doc) - Download - 360.50 KB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 274views 120downloads Citations Download citation David M. Waugh, Jeffrey Berman. The Impact of Therapist Credentials on Perceptions of the Psychotherapist. Authorea. 20 January 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173737650.04183674/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173737650.04183674/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.