Types of Mental Health Professionals
You’ve made the decision to get mental health care. Finding help though, can feel overwhelming. It can be confusing trying to figure out the difference between the different types of mental health professionals.
Mental health professionals assess, diagnose, provide therapy, or prescribe medications. Not every type of professional provides all of these services. Education level, training, and skills differ between the different types of professionals. Generally, people start by seeking help from one type of mental health provider and then can be referred to another type if needed.
The following are a list of some of the common types of mental health providers. To decide which type of mental health professional to choose, consider your goal for seeking treatment. Do you want to work through a stressful situation or relationship in your life? Or do you need a formal assessment to obtain specialized school services for your child? Perhaps you want to try treating your depression with medications?
For people who are looking for a formal report based on specialized diagnostic testing (to obtain specialized school based educational services, for child custody issues, competency to stand trial, assess job applicants or provide career counseling, help in clarifying diagnosis), licensed psychologists who are trained in psychological testing can complete these assessments.
Licensed psychologists can also provide therapy, and if licensed in certain states (Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico) and have completed specialized additional training in psychopharmacology, they can also prescribe medications. Licensed psychologists are either PsyD (doctorate in psychology), EdD (doctorate in education, indicating that their psychology doctoral program was part of a university’s college of education), PhD (doctorate of philosophy). A doctorate designates advanced post-graduate training that is not completed in a medical setting.
For people who are looking for assessment (without the formal testing and accompanying written report), diagnosis, and therapy, there are several different options including clinical social workers and professional counselors.
Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) have obtained a Masters degree in Social Work which included internships, completed 2-3 years (depending on the state) of supervised clinical experience in diagnosing and psychotherapy, and passed a national exam. They hold specialized knowledge and are licensed to provide therapy independently. Licensed master social workers (LMSW) or licensed clinical social work associate (LCSWA) are associate level clinical social workers who have graduated with a Masters degree but have not completed their 2-3 years training nor passed the national exam. Associates provide therapy under supervision by a LCSW.
Licensed professional counselors (LPC) have obtained a Masters degree in Counseling or Psychology which included internships, completed 2-3 years of supervised clinical experience in counseling, and passed a national exam. Associate professional counselors (APC) or licensed professional counselor associate (LPCA) are associate level professional counselors who have graduated with a Masters degree but have not completed their 2-3 years training nor passed the national exam. Associates provide therapy under supervision by a LPC.
For people who are looking for treatment through medications, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and psychiatrists can diagnose, as well as prescribe and monitor medications. Some also provide therapy, but many refer their medication patients to LCSW or LPC mental health providers for therapy.
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who are board certified (PMHNP-BC) have completed a Masters or Doctoral level degree in Nursing, completed supervised clinical experience, and passed a national exam.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD) who have completed medical school and a 4 year residency in psychiatry. They primarily specialize with the physical brain and medical issues that can affect brain functioning. They can also prescribe electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and ketamine therapy.
Working with a mental health professional who is licensed is important so that you know they have the education, training, experience, and skills to be your therapist, counselor, psychologist, or medical prescriber. Also important is finding a professional who you feel comfortable with and is a good match to helping you with working towards your mental wellbeing. See my post on 5 tips for finding the right therapist for questions to consider when deciding on a therapist or counselor.