How to become a child therapist in california

Requirements for a Child Therapist | Work

While there are many types of counselors and therapists, the path to each profession is similar. Child therapist requirements vary among states, but you typically need a master's degree in psychology or a related field and specialized training. If you decide to pursue this path, make sure you know what's required to start your career.

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Psychology, counseling and therapy are overlapping professions, and it's easy to confuse them. Practitioners who work in these fields often share the same goals but use different methods to accomplish them. Simply put, a child therapist isn't the same as a psychologist or counselor.

Therapists are required to have a master's degree in behavioral science, psychology or another related field. They must also be licensed by a professional organization. Their role is to help patients cope with stress, overcome trauma, and manage depression symptoms.

Psychologists, on the other hand, must hold a Ph.D. in this field, followed by one or two years of internship, according to the American Psychological Association. In some states, they are allowed to prescribe medications such as antidepressants and anxiolytics with additional training. Therapists cannot do that.

Counselors must earn a master's degree in the field where they want to specialize. For example, you may specialize in mental health counseling, family counseling or school counseling. Like therapists and psychologists, those who choose this career path are required to obtain a license to practice their profession. Some counseling titles require a Ph.D.

A psychologist may work as a child therapist or counselor but not the other way around. However, therapists may continue their education and specialize in one or more areas. There are family therapists, child therapists, cognitive-behavioral therapists, psychotherapists, and more areas of specialty. Each career path has slightly different educational requirements.

Child Therapist Schooling Requirements

Becoming a child therapist requires a master's degree in social work, psychology, counseling or a related field. You also need a professional license to practice independently. Most jobs require at least two or three years of experience working with children, as well as specific skills and abilities.

Generally, the path to building a career in this field begins with a bachelor's degree in psychology, education or social work. Once this step is complete, aspiring therapists must earn a master's degree in family therapy, clinical counseling or another related field. If you choose a master's or doctoral program in counseling, make sure it's accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

Fresno State, for example, offers a master's program in marriage, family and child counseling. Upon completion, you fulfill the educational requirements for getting a license in marriage and family therapy in California. The program includes training in family mediation, play therapy, ethics, trauma counseling, and other areas of interest. From there, you may choose to work as a child therapist, child pediatric counselor or marriage counselor.

Earning a master's degree helps you acquire the skills and knowledge needed to become a licensed therapist. As part of the program, you may work under the supervision of a psychologist to gain hands-on experience. Continuing education is just as important because it can broaden your knowledge and keep you abreast of the latest trends and developments in child therapy.

UC San Diego has a play therapy program aimed at licensed therapists and other health professionals working with children and teens. Students who complete it can work as registered play therapists. This certification program lasts 24 months and includes 22 courses on legal and ethical issues in child treatment, toys and their uses, cognitive-behavioral play therapy, and integrative play therapy.

Licensing in Child Therapy

Formal education and child therapist courses prepare you for the job, but you need a license to work in this field. As with most professions, licensing requirements depend on the state. In general, most states require at least proof of education and supervised clinical experience. You may also need to complete a specific number of hours of continuing education to maintain your license.

The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists, for example, requires a graduate degree from an accredited program and 2,400 supervised hours of counseling. Aspiring therapists must also pass a competency exam, such as the National Counselor Examination (NCE), and Oregon law and rules exam. The license must be renewed annually.

In California, this profession is regulated by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. To work as a child therapist, you must first obtain a license in marriage and family therapy. This requires a master's degree and 3,000 supervised hours of practice. Applicants must also register with the Board, pass a criminal background check, and undergo live-scan fingerprinting. Furthermore, they are required to take and pass a clinical exam and the California Law and Ethics Exam.

Key Skills and Abilities

Not everyone has what it takes to work with children. This profession requires specific skills and abilities, as well as a passion for helping others. Enthusiastic, caring individuals with strong communication skills are often the best therapists. Ideally, you should have a genuine interest in the emotional and behavioral problems children face, think critically, and listen actively. Other essential skills and qualities of a good therapist may include:

Empathy
Flexibility
Unconditional positive regard
Patience
Resilience
Strong problem-solving skills
Interpersonal skills
Research skills
Self-reflection
Ability to cope with strong emotions
In-depth knowledge and understanding of children's behavior
Sense of humor
Strong ethical code

Most of these skills can be learned through practice and experience. If you're the kind of person who expects fast results, you may be discouraged to discover that therapy often takes years to work. Patience is imperative. You must build a strong connection with your clients, earn their trust, and understand the root cause of their problems. This process requires mental strength, empathy and openness.

Having excellent listening skills is equally important. As a therapist, you must be able to read between the lines, interpret body language, and understand what your clients might be telling you through silence. Furthermore, this job requires strong critical thinking skills as you need to research and implement different techniques, search for what is below the surface, and know when to stop.

Should You Become a Therapist?

All in all, working as a child therapist comes with its challenges. Expect to deal with difficult personalities, hear traumatic stories, and help others make life-changing decisions. Yet, this profession can be highly rewarding, both personally and professionally, as you can make a difference in your community and help children reach their full potential.

The demand for counselors, family therapists, and other mental health professionals is projected to grow 22 percent between 2018 and 2028, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These professionals are in high demand and have more career opportunities than ever before.

The median annual salary for family therapists was close to $50,000 in 2019, according to the BLS. Those working for the government earned over $72,000 a year. If you open your own practice, you can earn even more as you gain experience and build connections. Most importantly, you'll have the power to shape young minds and change lives.

How to Become a Child Therapist

What Does a Child Therapist Do?

Child therapists see children with emotional disturbances from a variety of causes. Some emotional and cognitive problems can stem from physical illness or disability, developmental delays, mental illness, intellectual deficits, trauma, loss, stress, and social difficulties.

Therapists assess problems of patients from early childhood through adolescence, design interventions to help them, carry out and assess those interventions, report their findings, and coordinate their work with the rest of the health care team.

The duties of child therapists also include assessing cognitive, developmental, emotional, and social status of each child they see. Once an assessment is made the therapist discusses problem areas with the parents and gets an idea of family dynamics as they relate to the child.

Then the therapist composes a care plan for dealing with the child’s problems. He or she might discuss the case with physicians, nurse practitioners, teachers, and other professionals concerned with helping the child. Once a plan for intervention is in effect, the therapist continues to communicate with the child and family, keeping records of the child’s progress.

At long last the child therapist is able to discharge the patient when he or she achieves a satisfactory functional level.

Where Does a Child Therapist Work?

Child therapists can work for school systems, pediatric hospitals, pediatricians, juvenile detention centers, camps for handicapped children, and probation offices. Therapists wanting more independence can work in a solo or group private practice.

Why Do We Need Child Therapists?

Adults aren’t the only ones who can benefit from therapy. Unfortunately, the mental health of children is often overlooked and ignored. Many people think children are always happy, since childhood is regarded as a time of playfulness, bliss, and no responsibility.

However, children can also deal with stress and psychological issues, just like adults. Children have specific needs and issues that may require therapy – and this type of therapy is markedly different from traditional adult therapy.

The vastly different approach that is necessary for working with a child in therapy, when compared to working with an adult, begs for the need for an entire subset of child therapy. Children need to be made comfortable in order to open up and share. They often require a playful environment, one that doesn’t even feel like therapy.

Children look at the world in a completely different way than adults. They also have a different level of understanding of the world around them. Because of this, the approach to therapy for children is much different.

If a child is suffering from some sort of mental health issue or behavioral problem, therapy can help prevent any issues from turning into more long-term issues into adulthood.

Childhood is, in essence, supposed to be a happy time, full of learning, growing, exploring, and laughing. All children deserve that happiness, leading to healthier and happier adulthood.

Related: How to Become a Youth Therapist

What are the Requirements to Become a Child Therapist?

Education

Child therapists are required to have a master’s degree in counseling or social work or a doctoral degree in psychology. Doctoral degree, however, is not mandatory for therapist/counselor licensure.

A bachelor’s degree is the first requirement for a child counselor, and most places of employment, as well as state boards, require a master’s level education.

A typical Bachelor or Arts or Bachelor of Science would include basic education, electives, basic psychology, child psychology, developmental psychology, statistics, and a choice of upper division courses specifically related to child therapy.

Some specialized upper division courses might include: early development, adolescent development, disabilities and their emotional impact, development and interpersonal relations, behavioral and emotional childhood problems, perceptual development, cognitive development,play therapy, art therapy, or language development. Some programs allow field studies or research.

Not all universities offer undergraduate programs in childhood therapy, but most offer courses in psychology and counseling. A Bachelor’s degree in a related subject, like child psychology, can be stepping stone toward a graduate degree in child therapy.

Students should check catalogs, discuss their goals with faculty and school counselors, and come up with a plan for their education in advance of applying to a university.

Admission to a master’s program requires completion of the bachelor’s degree. Some master’s programs are composed of entirely coursework, while others require original research and a thesis.

Some graduate level courses students might encounter include: hospitalized infant and toddler development, grief and loss, play therapy, crisis intervention, child abuse, family theory, social ecology, and child life, to name a few. Internships allow students to practice child therapy under supervision.

Optional

Doctoral programs require graduate students to design and carry out original research at the level published in the scientific journals.

Students arrange with members of faculty to be their advisors and help them submit research proposals. When proposals are granted, students carry out their proposed studies under the supervision of their advisors and graduate committees.

At the completion of their research, students write a dissertation detailing their work and conclusions they have drawn from it. The last step is to defend their studies before their graduate committees. Once a dissertation is approved, the student officially has his or her PhD.

Licensure

States and territories maintain standards of education and experience that child therapists must live up to in order to receive permission to practice. A license in view of consumers lets them know that their therapist has the necessary qualifications to help them and their families.

State boards of health care and counseling decide upon their own rules, so the necessary qualifications vary from state to state. Students should check with the state government in which they plan to practice to learn which hoops to jump through.

Generally, evidence of the required coursework (i. e. master’s level education) and supervised experience are required, along with a satisfactory score on a test administered by the relevant state board.

Few if any states license child therapists as a separate specialty but license counselors and psychologists with a broader description. Kansas and Maryland for instance, licenses Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs). Arizona, Texas and Illinois also license child therapists as LPCs.

California, licenses child therapists as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC). New York on the other hand licenses these therapists as ‘Licensed Mental Health Counselor’.

Florida licenses psychologists and school psychologists. In Florida, candidates must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology and the Florida Laws and Rules examination.

Graduates need to look up the specific licensure requirements in their own states and check back periodically for new developments.

What are the Qualities of a Good Child Therapist?

Listed below are the qualities of a good child therapist:

Have a “Soft Spot” for Children: A good child therapist must love, or deeply like children. In fact, they must enjoy being around children, and watching them grow, develop, and mature.

Understand Child Development: A credible child therapist should have a sound understanding of the developmental stages of children. He or she must also be highly familiar with common age-related issues and concerns. Furthermore, it is important that a good child therapist be knowledgeable of child-appropriate treatment approaches.

Be Willing to Consult with Other Professionals: A good child therapist must also be willing to consult with other professionals (i.e. teachers, social workers, therapists, childcare workers, psychologists, physicians, counselors, etc.). If a child is “acting out” at home, he or she is probably doing the same thing at school, daycare, etc. ; therefore, it is important to work with professionals in those areas. It is also imperative to work with physicians, especially if the child is taking psychotropic medications. A willingness to collaborate with medical and educational professionals can promote the child’s success, both at home and away from home.

Encourage Parental Participation: Lastly, a good child therapist must encourage parental participation. In other words, he or she must actively encourage parents, to become involved in what is happening with their child. A child therapist should also maintain communication with parents on a regular basis. This communication should consist of: progress reports, parenting style suggestions, and ways to improve the child’s behaviors at home, and at school.

What Skills are Required for a Child Therapist?

Child therapists must have excellent interpersonal skills for dealing with not only the patient but adults who affect the child. He or she must be able to communicate a positive, caring attitude, and actively listen to the patient, his family, and others concerned with the case.

Therapists must have good writing skills for documenting cases. Child therapists in private practice need business and accounting skills.

What is the Job Outlook for Child Therapists?

The future looks bright for aspiring professionals in all health care fields. The Affordable Health Care Act puts help within reach of families regardless of socioeconomic status. The current high level of divorce puts stresses on families and children.

By the year 2031 it is estimated that 12 percent more mental health counselors will be needed than were needed in 2021, resulting in 77,500 new employments.

What is the Salary for a Child Therapist?

As of October 2022, according to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly salary throughout the country for child therapists is $32 and the average annual income is $67,087. Experienced child therapists earn well over $100,000 per year.

Salaries vary from state to state and among various employment settings. Child therapists working in Nebraska, Arizona, New York and California earn the highest average annual salary of $97,409, $89,745, $84,078 and $80,778 respectively.

While Child therapists working in Texas, Connecticut and Wyoming on average earn $74,719, $76,261 and $78,535 per year respectively.

More Resources

Association of Educational Therapists
ACAChild | Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling
Division 53—Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

FAQ: How much does it cost to become a doctor in America?

Working as a doctor in America is one of the most elite and highly paid professions. According to statistics, the average salary of a doctor in America is $300,000 a year, and a narrow specialist receives about $20,000 more.

Work in the field of medicine is very promising, especially if you study abroad. However, this is quite an expensive training.

Is it possible for anyone who wants to get a doctorate in the USA?

For those wishing to obtain a medical degree in America, there are very few main ways to obtain a doctor's license. The first and most common way is to complete the chain of American medical education. This is the most reliable option, but very expensive.

What does the “chain of medical education” look like?

In order to enter the medical school here, you must already have a university degree. The undergraduate program should be related to biology, chemistry, physics, etc., that is, the natural sciences. For foreigners, an American or Canadian bachelor's degree is preferable.

The cost of this stage is from $ 30,000 to $60,000 for each academic year.

During their studies, students go through a special program, studying basic science and medical disciplines, in order to successfully pass the MCAT exam in the future. However, this stage of the chain is optional, and many higher education institutions leave this program free.

Pass the MCAT exam

Before entering medical school in the US, all students take a mandatory medical prerequisite test. This is one of the most important criteria for the selection of applicants.

This is an exam for those who want to study at the medical school in the United States. It is a standard test with multiple choice questions that helps to assess the following qualities of an applicant:

ability to solve complex problems
critical thinking
knowledge of sciences, biology and other subjects that are prerequisites for studying medicine.

Almost all medical faculties require test results at the time of admission (valid for three years). When compiling the test, the student can score from 1 to 15 points in each of the 4 parts. The results are known 30 days after the donation. The cost of MCAT is $260-270.

Medical School

The Medical School lasts 4 years and includes 2 years of theoretical training and 2 years of clinical practice. In the last year, a specific medical specialization is chosen. After graduating from medical school, the graduate receives an M.D.

The cost of this stage will be from $40,000 to $70,000 per year.

What is a US residency?

This is the most important stage of the medical education chain in the USA, identical to residency in Russia. Training takes place on the basis of large clinics and hospitals of the country (more than 1000 medical institutions work under this program). In order to be eligible to practice in the United States, residency is required. It is necessary to start preparing for admission to residency in advance, because this is a rather long process. From a Russian graduate you will need:

Validate Russian Diploma of Medical Education
Pass two exams - USMLE 1 and 2
Obtain ECFMG certification.

It is important to note that two stages of the exam cost $3385 , and applications cost $30 , and it will take about 100-300 applications to receive invitations to 5-7 interviews.

Fellowship takes 1-2 years and often includes elements of research work. Usually a student has time to complete an internship in parallel with residency training. It is a prerequisite for a number of medical specialties (cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, oncologists, nephrologists, etc.).
Professional certification, which includes examinations in the chosen medical specialty.
Master's degree - from $15,000 to $120,000 per year.
Postgraduate studies (lasts 5 to 7 years and costs from $ 27,500 to $45,000 per year ).

At any stage, the selection committee will evaluate such personal qualities as communication skills, computer literacy, volunteer work experience. It is obligatory to have letters of recommendation from university professors. Also, for training, you will need perfect English and knowledge of medical terminology in English.

In general, if you start from the average cost for each stage of training in the US, then medical education in the US will cost approximately $ 350,000 and more than in total. However, this amount does not include expenses for insurance, housing and food. In addition, you have the opportunity to apply for a grant that will reduce costs to $100,000 or $200,000.

Undoubtedly, studying to be a doctor in America is worth the money spent. With a medical education in this direction, you can find high-paying jobs: according to statistics, the professions of a surgeon, anesthesiologist, orthodontist, therapist, gynecologist and psychiatrist are the highest paid in America. Their average annual income is between 179000 to $247,000.

How to become doctors in the USA: the system of medical education through the eyes of a student: 5cek - LiveJournal

I want to tell you how Americans get medical education, how many years it takes them, how to become a general practitioner, dentist, surgeon, what is the payment system.

In the USA, a doctor is a respected person

The work of a doctor in the USA is almost the most prestigious. Eight first places in the ranking of the highest paid professions in the country are consistently occupied by doctors. And the anesthesiologist is the most profitable specialty: the salary of these doctors reaches 290 thousand dollars per year. The average salary of a doctor in the US is $150,000 a year.

Doctors are a wealthy and influential social group. But the requirements for doctors in America are very high. They are obliged to have not only the highest level of education, but also to improve it throughout the service, increasing their qualifications. And, of course, getting a professional education and promotion is not cheap at all. In total, to receive a medical education in the United States, you will have to pay from 100 to 150 thousand dollars.

Americans are used to thinking that medicine in the USA is the most professional in the world. Anyone who wants to become a doctor and practice in America must go through a very difficult path, and no exceptions are made for anyone.

It takes us a very long time to become a doctor. As a rule, the doctor begins to conduct independent practice only by the age of forty. No one expects all doctors to become geniuses, professors and academics, with broad knowledge and a super approach to patients. The main thing is that the patient must be sure that the doctor he addresses will not make a gross mistake.

The medical education system in the US and its structure is very different from the rest. After all, we do not have free higher education. All students have to pay tuition - both those who study at private universities and those who attend public universities. Sociologists argue that education costs are second only to the purchase of a house in the budget of the average American family. Nevertheless, the country has a system in place to reduce, sometimes quite significantly, the financial burden on the family budget, which entails studying at a college or university. This is possible thanks to the widespread system of scholarships and grants.

Medical schools, as medical schools are called in the United States, are primarily funded by the states in which they are located. Therefore, upon admission, priority is given first of all to residents of this state, and secondly to US citizens.

Since the profession of a doctor is considered one of the most prestigious, studying to be a doctor is an expensive allowance. It is much more expensive than, say, studying to be an economist or a lawyer. In addition, the organization of the educational process in this specialty requires a lot of specialized equipment and expensive consumables (especially in the specialty "Dentistry"). Therefore, tuition fees in medical school are always very high, and a student cannot do without a loan. Scholarships are paid only to units. We will talk about this system below.

Undergraduate Compulsory Intermediate

After graduating from high school at age 18, a young person must complete a bachelor's degree from a university. Discipline does not play a special role, but it is better if it is the natural sciences.

In parallel with obtaining a bachelor's degree, a student additionally takes a program of study in preparatory medical courses (Pre-Med). The main thing is what kind of doctor you want to become: a dentist or an osteopath, or you want to get a different medical specialty. The chosen medical specialty determines which exam you will need to pass after completing the Pre-Med program. For example, allopaths and osteopaths must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), dentists the Dental College Admission Test (DAT), and ophthalmologists the Special College of Ophthalmology Admission Test (OAT). Well, the type of exam is determined depending on the subjects that you will study as part of Pre-Med. The duration of the program is not limited in the sense that once the student has completed all the required courses, he can sign up for the exams. This can be done in the third and fourth year of study. It all depends on the student himself - on how quickly he masters the program. A plus is having experience in the health care field. The competition is 4-5 people per place. And in the most prestigious schools of the country, up to 10 applicants can apply for one place. The exam can be retaken any number of times. However, you need to keep in mind that all medical schools where you apply will find out about all your attempts.

You can study to be a nurse. Nursing training departments are open as part of multidisciplinary colleges, and there are also separate specialized nursing colleges (College of Nursing). Education in the nursing department includes practice in hospitals, schools, utility agencies, centers for the homeless. Students learn the basics of health care, medical ethics and other subjects. The best programs are accredited by the National League of Nursing. Upon completion of training, a Bachelor of Science (Bachelor in Science) degree may be awarded.

Those wishing to become doctors can only apply to medical school after completing their studies at the university.

The Long Way to Graduation

There are about 120 medical schools in the US. As a reminder, only students with the best grades are admitted to medical schools.

Each of them sets its own standards and selection procedure. The Medical School Admission Requirements directory is published annually, containing a set of admission requirements for each of the medical schools and statistics on the results of the last year's entrance exams. But the MCAT entrance test, developed by the AAMC in collaboration with medical schools in America and Canada, is the same for all applicants. We have already talked about it.

Some schools have an MD/PhD (Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy) double degree program. However, about 98% of all medical graduates receive one diploma - MD. There is also an MD / MBA (Doctor of Medicine / Master of Business Administration) diploma - medicine plus business, but this is even less common. The duration of study at the MD/PhD is 7-8 years, which is about twice as long as at the MD.

Traditionally, training in medical school lasts 4 years, of which half of the term is lectures and laboratory work. Then - the same amount of clinical practice.

Anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, histology and microbiology are studied for the first 2 years. The most impressive at this time was the first experience of working in an anatomical laboratory.

In the third year, during clinical practice, the student encounters a patient for the first time.

The year is usually divided into several periods: the student visits the departments of pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and family medicine. Any period lasts 6-8 weeks, and each student, under the supervision of doctors, provides assistance to hospitalized patients. The work includes taking an anamnesis, examining and compiling a list of possible diagnoses and treatment plans.

During the fourth year, the student has more practice, greater responsibility towards the patient, and a series of monthly courses in areas of greatest interest. For example, a student with an interest in pediatrics may spend one month of training in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology.

Some medical schools do not follow this traditional curriculum and are more integrated. Students enter clinical practice much earlier, studying and attending lectures for all four years.

8 years after graduating from High School, it's time for residency. After receiving a diploma, students take the state exam - USMLE. According to its results, they are assigned to a residency - an analogue of the Russian residency, only taking more years. Residency in the USA is a postgraduate hospital training of physicians, which provides for specialization for one year as an intern and for 3 to 8 years as a resident.

For example, students interested in pediatrics apply for residencies at children's hospitals, and those who want to become surgeons apply for surgical departments at university hospitals. Getting into residency, like getting into medical school, is a highly competitive process. Admissions committees select students with the best grades, and also favorably treat those who volunteered and helped others who did scientific work, who performed well during the interview.

During residency, an intern is hired by the hospital, receives a salary, works about 60-80 hours a week, and cares for both hospitalized and outpatients, but under the guidance of a more qualified doctor.

A resident may be the first physician in contact with a patient, but seeks the advice of a more experienced colleague before starting treatment.

Upon completion of this level of specialization, the graduate becomes a fully licensed physician. He can work as a therapist and provide assistance in private practice. For example, a graduate of a residency in pediatrics may work as a pediatrician in a clinic as part of a team of pediatricians. An alternative may be to receive additional, highly specialized education in a particular area. Then it is called "fellowship" and includes training for another 3-6 years. For example, after completing a residency in pediatrics, a young physician may choose an additional four years of training to become a gastroenterologist.

The general picture of obtaining permission to practice independently is approximately the following. If you are going to work in an ambulance, it will take 3-4 years; go into family practice or pediatrics - 3 years. Gynecology and psychiatry will take 4 additional years. Urology and general surgery - 5 years each. Specialized surgery, including plastic surgery - 5-6 years (depending on specialization). And if you dream of becoming, for example, a cardiologist, add 7 years, a neurosurgeon - 8 years.

After this stage comes the "last battle". He, respectively, "the most difficult". The doctor passes a difficult exam and, finally, receives the degree of Doctor of Medicine - MD (Medical Doctor). After that, you can work as a doctor in the USA.

An important difference between the American medical tradition

I would like to draw the attention of readers to the fact that in the United States there is a practice where not the whole person is treated, but his individual organs. Treatment is at the mercy of "narrow" specialists who pay attention only to what is the object of their professional qualification, not noticing the rest of the body.

A distinctive feature of American medicine is the special personal relationship between doctor and patient. The patient is considered a partner of the doctor, the patient is explained in detail his condition and listen to his opinion when choosing treatment tactics. In assessing the quality of medical care, the patient's opinion is of great, sometimes excessive importance.