What Do All Those Letters Mean??

..and what kind of therapist is right for you?

Meeting a new therapist and being open about your struggles takes a lot of vulnerability. The process of starting therapy is already stressful enough before even considering the (potentially very confusing) search for a mental health provider. How do you know who is right for you? Why are there so many acronyms and letters? What do they all mean? Hopefully this breakdown will help you understand the difference between the types of therapy providers so that you have a starting point in finding the right fit for you or your loved one.

Masters-Level therapists

Some titles or credentials differ by state, but in Georgia, there are three types of masters-level therapists:

• LPC- Licensed Professional Counselor

• LCSW-Licensed Clinical Social Worker

• LMFT- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Scope of Practice: LPCs, LCSWs and LMFTs are all authorized to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders through individual, family, and group therapy. They can also administer and interpret assessment tools to evaluate emotional and mental problems. Masters-level clinicians are not authorized to administer psychological evaluations or use assessment tools to diagnose neuropsychological conditions (e.g. communication disorders, autism, learning differences, ADHD).

Education/ CEs: LPCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs have all been through accredited masters programs which include supervised direct experience through an internship. Credit hour requirements, core class content, and internship requirements are very similar between degree programs, and programs range from 2-3 years.

Supervision: After graduation, all masters level therapists must complete a period of direct experience with continued supervision from a fully licensed therapist. During this time of supervision, a therapist will most likely apply for a provisional license which includes sitting for an exam and being approved by the governing board. Just to make it more complicated, each provisionally licensed provider has a separate acronym:

• LAPC- Licensed Associate Professional Counselor

• LMSW- Licensed Masters Social Worker

• LAMFT-Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist

While fully licensed masters level clinicians have met requirements to practice independently, continued supervision and consultation is encouraged to learn new techniques, work through challenges and benefit from other’s perspective and experience.

Differences: Perspective and conceptualization of a client’s problems is where the biggest difference between LPCs, LCSW, and LMFTs lies.

• Counselors view a client’s challenges through an intrapersonal lens. LPCs emphasize personal wellness and internal change, and they focus on healthy development through the lifespan.

• Social workers conceptualize client’s concerns in relationship to their environment and a person’s connection with their community. They focus on increasing a client’s internal and external resources to increase their overall wellbeing.

• Marriage and family therapists view a person’s presenting concerns with a systems perspective. They focus on how relationship dynamics and someone’s place in a family system impact their mental health.

While each profession has their strengths, it has become common for all the professionals listed above to have a more holistic approach. No matter the professional you see, you will likely find someone who will take a complete assessment of your concerns and address personal, community and family challenges.

Doctorate-Level Providers

There are two different degrees that a psychologist can hold:

• PsyD: Doctorate of Psychology

• PhD in Psychology: Doctorate of Philosophy

Education- Both PhDs and PsyDs undergo the same amount of schooling and require the same amount of training to be eligible to sit for the licensing exam. Both programs are a minimum 5 years with an additional year of post doctorate work. During this time, psychologists receive an additional year of supervision after all degree requirements are met and are eligible to sit for the licensure exam.

Scope of Practice Psychologists, both PsyDs and PhDs, can assess, diagnose, and treat all mental health related issues. Psychologists can conduct neuropsychological evaluations, psychoeducational evaluations, personality assessments, custody evaluations to name a few.

Differences

• PhD in Psychology puts an emphasis on developing research and new theories, with a more scientific–practitioner approach. While people who hold a PhD can go into private practice, they typically have an interest for research, becoming a professor, and developing/advancing knowledge of mental health issues and methods to treat them.

• Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) emphasizes providing psychological services to patients. People who hold a PsyD typically know that they want to focus on clinical practice. Though their passion may not be research, throughout graduate school they learn how to interpret data and research so that they can provide the most evidence-based treatments to their patients. 

When trying to look for a therapist, you want to make sure they are competent in the area you think they will be treating. Several clinicians offer phone consultations prior to beginning treatment, and you can utilize those conversations to ask about a provider’s training and experience. You can also make sure your therapist is up to date with their licensing requirements by searching the Secretary of State Licensing Division.