How can I learn the basics for being a mental health therapist?

I don’t know what APA formatting is. However, you need to get a college degree to practice any kind of therapy.

I’m familiar with APA, and you’ll be taught it when pursuing a college education like @anniereborn said. While in some positions a bachelors degree will suffice, mental health therapist is a fairly broad term and can range from a private to clinical setting. A masters degree is much more ideal and will open up a lot more positions but in the end, a doctorate is probably best.

Learning small talk is the least of your concerns. You’ll need at least a master’s degree.

“Keeping a confidence” and “learning small talk” are not mental health therapist skills but basic life socialization skills. A confidence ought to be kept by everybody, from a busboy to an athlete to a politician.

And small talk is little more than being interested in what other people have to say, and asking open needed questions about them selves.

General therapy skills are learned when studying counseling, usually in a Masters of Counseling course, then practiced. That’s why therapists often need to at least 4,000 hours of counseling internship before sitting for a licensing exam.

A good friend of mine is in school to become a mental health therapist. It’s nothing to sneeze at, tons of hard work. He doesn’t get a whole lot of sleep. You need at least a Master’s, preferably a doctorate.