So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist (So You Want To Be A...)

"So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist by Linda Soules is another excellent addition to the So You Want To Be series. Two chairs in a quiet room; that’s what it takes for lives to start changing. Imagine a job that doesn’t revolve around vehicles, tools, or computers but around how you listen to others. This book invites young readers to delve into a career where understanding, empathy, and listening skills are the most important tools. It explains what a psychotherapist does, what it takes to be one, and why it’s such an important job, especially in today’s fast-paced, high-powered, busy lives. Readers will learn what tools they use, what a day in the life of a psychotherapist looks like, and the challenges and rewards that come with the job. They’ll meet famous psychotherapists who shaped the job, and they’ll learn the qualities needed to decide if it’s what they want to do with their lives.

Linda Soules’s series just keeps getting better, and So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist is an excellent addition. This wonderfully illustrated book introduces young readers (and older ones) to the work of a psychotherapist, explaining every part of the job in simple, straightforward language. It may not sound like the most exciting of careers for a child, but rather than just a job description, this book treats the subject the same way a therapist treats their clients – with respect, patience, and a deep dive beneath the surface. The book moves smoothly from one topic to the next and includes fun facts, a quiz for readers to take, and a helpful glossary at the end. It’s an honest book; it doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges of the job, the cost involved in getting there, the hard work, the potential for burnout, and other challenges, but it does so in a way that doesn’t discourage readers. If your child is the one their friends turn to, the one who listens quietly without judging or shouting, this could be the career path for them. One day, they’ll meet that person having a hard time, and that’s when the room with two chairs will be open and waiting."

"So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist by Linda Soules is another excellent addition to the So You Want To Be A… series. Rather than focusing on vehicles, technology, or specialized equipment, this career guide introduces children to a profession in which the most powerful tool is the ability to listen. Soules explains how psychotherapists help people understand their emotions and heal through careful, honest conversation. Written for readers ages ten to fourteen, the book treats children as thoughtful equals while presenting mental health and therapy in a warm, approachable, and respectful way.

The book offers a thorough look at what psychotherapists actually do, where they work, and what a typical day might involve. Young readers learn about the familiar two chairs, the tissue box, the fifty-minute hour, and the surprising “doorknob moment,” when a client reveals something important just as a session is ending. Soules also explores settings beyond the traditional office, including schools, hospitals, video appointments, and barns where therapists work alongside horses. Fun facts, practical listening exercises, a self-assessment quiz, and a kid-friendly glossary make the material informative and engaging.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its honesty. Soules doesn’t sugarcoat the educational requirements, licensing process, ethical responsibilities, emotional strain, or risk of burnout that can accompany this career. At the same time, these challenges are presented without discouraging readers. The book emphasizes the importance of empathy, curiosity, emotional steadiness, self-awareness, and self-care. It also introduces influential figures such as Carl Rogers, Mamie Phipps Clark, Virginia Satir, Marsha Linehan, Anna Freud, and Derald Wing Sue, showing how different people and ideas have helped shape the profession.

The warm, inviting illustrations and straightforward language make So You Want To Be A Psychotherapist accessible to younger readers while offering valuable insights for teenagers, parents, and adults. It’s especially well suited to the child whose friends naturally turn to them, the quiet listener who offers patience rather than judgment. The book may also reassure young people who feel nervous about attending therapy by showing that psychotherapists are caring professionals trained to listen and help. Realistic, encouraging, and deeply compassionate, this career guide invites readers to consider whether one of those two chairs in a quiet room might someday be theirs."

"Linda Soules shows ages 10 to 12 that a psychotherapist’s main instrument is careful attention in a quiet space with two chairs, not a machine or a couch. Parents reading along will find that framing useful at home as well.

The book walks through the whole shape of the work: what a session sounds like, confidentiality and the boundaries that protect the hour, and the many roads in, from counselors and social workers to psychologists and psychiatrists. It explains approaches like CBT and EMDR, clinical notes, supervision, and play tools such as sand trays and puppets for children who cannot yet name a feeling. There are profiles of figures like Carl Rogers, Mamie Phipps Clark, and Marsha Linehan, a day-in-the-life walkthrough, a glossary, and a closing self-check. The school counselor pages stand out for families: knocking on that door needs only something on your mind, not a full crisis.

Soules' voice stays plain and close, more conversation than lecture, built from small office facts that stick: the hallway white noise machine, the tissue box left within reach, the fifty-minute session. Illustrations give young readers a visual hold on the setting while adults pause to talk. In the So You Want To Be A series, this title treats mental health care as ordinary, not strange or shameful.

The book's strength lies in treating a school counselor's office and a psychiatrist's with equal narrative weight, which quietly corrects the assumption that therapy is only for crisis.

Give it to the kid who already holds a silence longer than friends expect, and keep it nearby for the adult who wants steady language for those talks."

"If you have a teen that is interested in being a psychotherapist, this is a great book that will guide him or her into considering this career. The author is transparent about what is involved in being a therapist: educational expectations, license qualifications, ethical responsibilities, and personal characteristics to be an effective therapist. While being honest about the profession, the author also portrays being a therapist in a realistic way.

If you have a teen who may need to see a psychotherapist, this is a perfect book for someone who may be nervous about talking about their mental health. The author touches on how therapists are empathic, self-aware, strong communicators, and constantly seeking to expand their knowledge. I found this book to portray the career field very well.

I would recommend So You Want to be a Psychotherapist because it leaves readers with realistic expectations while pushing them to ask themselves if they have what it takes to be join this profession."

"This is a great educational book for anyone wondering what it would be like to be a Psychotherapist ! I would say it’s geared towards an elementary aged kid. It reads similar to the 'Who Is' type books that many kids know and love. I liked the layout, including the best parts of the job, hardest parts of the job (you can’t do the healing for someone), surprising parts, A day in the life, fun facts (a therapy hour is 50 minutes, not 60), and even a glossary at the end of the book for any of the “Psychotherapist words”. The questions towards the end that encourage kids to ask themself to know if this is a future career for them are great too! All in all, great book. This is one of many books in the series we have read and we will definitely continue to check out others in this series out too."

"This book is geared towards kids, but it is also great for adults. I even learned a lot and it really kept my attention. The pictures were warm and inviting. Every topic was explained in a way that not just informed, but kept my attention. It covered a lot of really good information. I think my favorite part was the importance of a psychotherapist taking care of themselves also, so they can properly take care of clients in the way they deserve. It even introduced important psychotherapist that made meaningful contributions to the field."

"What a great series! This book provides an overview of the career, walks the reader through a typical workday and identifies the pros and cons of the career. It is well written and will appeal to those seeking a career as well as parents seeking to help students identify opportunities."

"This book is very well written and explains in easy to follow and understandable language on what a psychotherapist does. I would definitely recommend this book to older elementary students and older!"

"As someone who wanted to be a psychotherapist when I was younger I would have loved this book. It can also be useful to explain therapy to a child."