THE ALPHABET SOUP OF MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS

Courtesy of Family First Magazine

The myriad ABC permutations that trail a mental health professional’s name can be dizzying. Here’s a mini-primer on the significance of the symbols.

MSW

A social worker who’s earned a master’s degree, but hasn’t completed the required hours for licensing—and cannot practice privately.

LCSW

An MSW who’s received her license after extensive supervised clinical training, and is qualified to give therapy or work in case management.

LMFT

A licensed marriage and family therapist who’s earned a graduate degree in psychology and/or marriage and family, plus supervised experience. She’s not qualified to deal with issues unrelated to marriage and family, like OCD, anxiety, or personality disorders.

LMHC/LPC

A licensed mental health counselor who’s earned a graduate degree in counseling and/or psychology, plus supervised experience. Similar to LCSW, the MHC education is focused on therapy for a broad range of disorders, but it does not cover case management.

LCAT

A licensed creative arts therapist who’s earned a masters in art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, or drama therapy, plus supervised experience.

PhD

A licensed psychologist who’s earned a doctorate, usually with a focus on research.

PsyD

A licensed psychologist who’s earned a doctorate, usually with a focus on patient therapy.