pretty-ok-username

It sounds like a lot of people trust your opinion and advice about human relationships. I’m curious, what qualifications do you have?

Thanks for your honest response. The reason I ask is because it seems as though you are purporting to help people with their psychological and social functioning, and charging a fee for your services via your book and consulting “program.” Although I’m sure you have some interesting personal insight and limited knowledge from self-study, I highly, highly suggest that you include a disclaimer that you don’t have formal training and licensure.

There’s a reason people need to attend accredited institutions to obtain degrees to help people. Professional licensure is important; it protects the public from people who have good intentions but zero training by enforcing strict ethical and professional standards. To ensure that public health, safety, and welfare are protected, a minimal degree of competency is required to grant licensure. Without this, anyone can claim to be experts and provide any kind of service that isn’t regulated, which can be dangerous.

I’m sure you have no intention of causing any harm, but the population you are targeting, people who are struggling psychologically/socially, may be susceptible to misinformation and/or unintended harm. With that said, an ethical approach to positioning yourself as a helper is to make it very clear in your promotional material that you do not have formal training or qualifications. You could also add that people should seek support from a mental health care professional if they are experiencing significant distress. This kind of disclaimer could also protect you from legal trouble down the road.

Anyway, that’s my (unsolicited) two cents as a doctoral student in clinical psychology. Wishing you all the best in your future!