If you’re looking for someone to help you with a mental health concern like depression, anxiety or stress, chances are you’ve come across a bunch of different types of counselors: LCPC, Psychologists, LMFTs, Psychiatrists, and more. It can be overwhelming, and a lot of people aren’t sure what type of counselor to choose. Furthermore, everyone has a bunch of letters after their names, and it’s hard to know what they mean. Here’s a quick run down of the different types of therapists, and when they are most helpful.
Licensed Clinical Psychologists: A clinical psychologist has the letters “Ph.D.” or “Psy.D.” after their name, and may have “ABPP” after that. You’ll find clinical psychologists in every state, and they have a doctorate in clinical psychology. This means that they might go by “doctor” (although this is not a medical degree), and have 5-7 years of schooling after college. Yes, that’s a lot! So what’s the difference between a Psy.D. and Ph.D.? A Psy.D. went to a professional program – focused mostly on clinical skills with minimal research requirements. On the other hand, Ph.D. psychologists are required to do more research (and their programs are usually a bit longer). At the end of the day, there’s not much of a difference in therapy between a Ph.D. and Psy.D. as long as they attended an APA accredited program. The list can be found HEREADDME. What about the “ABPP” after a psychologist’s name? That stands for American Board of Professional Psychology – this is the Psychologist version of being board certified. Unlike physicians, psychologists don’t have to be board certified – in fact most board certified psychologists don’t become certified until later into their careers.
When to choose a Licensed Clinical Psychologist: Licensed Clinical Psychologists can help with just about any mental health concern, even major mental illness like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In some states, certain psychologists can even prescribe certain medications (although most do not). Psychologists can also do psychological assessments – testing to find the presence of things like ADHD, Autism or Learning Disorders. Testing and assessment is pretty unique to psychologists – and a key reason to choose one.
Psychiatrists: Many people mix up psychologists and psychiatrists. So what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist? They’re actually very different career paths, as psychiatrists go to medical school, then do a residency in psychiatry. This can take 7-10 years after college graduation. Psychiatrists will often have “M.D.” or “D.O” after their names, and will be board certified in psychiatry.
When to choose a Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists prescribe medication. Although some still do therapy, most focus on short medication management sessions. If you need medication (particularly if you take multiple types of medication or have severe mental illness), you probably need a psychiatrist.
Master’s Level Therapists: When you see the letters “LCPC,” “LMHC” or something similar, you’re looking at a Master’s level counselor. LCPC stands for Licensed Clinical Profesisonal Counselor and LMHC stands for LIcensed Mental Health Counselor. The exact name of the license varies by state, but you may also see the abbreviation “NBCC” (or National Board of Certified Counselors) after their license. Master’s level therapists, as the term suggests, have a Master’s Degree in psychology, counseling or mental health, usually about 2-3 years of school after college. They will usually have “M.A.” or “M.S.” after their names.
When to Choose a Master’s Level Therapist: A master’s level counselor can help with most mental health concerns, but don’t prescribe or do some types of assessment. Many states license Master’s level therapists, but not all. When looking for an LCPC or LMHC, one indication of high-quality training is a CACREP accredited program – although there are also high quality programs with other accrediting bodies.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: These therapists are often called “LMFTs.” An LMFT has 2-3 years of school after college, focused mainly on marriage and family therapy (obviously). They have studied couples counseling – such as communication and conflict resolution – as well as family dynamics.
When to choose an LMFT: If your difficulties involve a larger system, such as a romantic relationship or family constellation, an LMFT is a great choice. Some even work individually, but incorporate aspects of your family history.
Social Workers: Social Workers are trained slightly differently than those in the field of Psychology. Instead of focusing on individual differences and experiences, they have a more holistic, systemic focus. Social workers (at least those with a Master’s degree or MSW) are licensed in all 50 states and do individual, family and group therapy. Their licenses are often called LCSWs. Beyond that, many work in public service, help connect people to different helpful organizations, and help integrate individuals into society. Some social workers might work for government organizations like DCFS, some work at schools, and others do clinical mental health work.
When to choose a Social Worker: Social workers can be helpful for problems with depression and anxiety, as well as family and group therapy. School social workers are often the first contact for children who are struggling, and are incredibly helpful when therapy needs to be integrated into the school day. Finally, if you need assistance in finding resources, social workers are generally knowledgeable and helpful.
Provisionally Licensed and Student Counselors: You may see a therapist who doesn’t have a full license. In my state (Illinois), their license doesn’t include the word “clinical.” Some may not have a license at all; they are still in training. Every type of counselor has to be trained, and this training happens before full, independent licensure. These therapists often provide sliding scale services. Most importantly, they are supervised by a fully licensed therapist. This can be a great resource if you can’t find a counselor in your insurance network, or you need sliding scale services. In fact, many people find that there are advantages to seeing student counselors or provisionally licensed therapists including low-cost, high quality services, and feedback from two therapists at once.
At the end of the day, the best counselor to help you is one that has experience with whatever difficulty you are facing, and connects well with you. In fact, I would argue that your relationship with your therapist is far more important than the letters after their name.