As you begin looking for a therapist to support you in your mental health journey, you likely have a lot of questions. After all, there are so many different kinds of mental health professionals, and you might be unsure which one is best for you. You may also be confused by all the credentials, licenses, and educational background of potential therapists — not to mention the jumble of letters that come after each therapist’s name.
You want someone who is experienced, professional, and has the specialized tools to support you best — but where to start? We’re here to help. Let’s break down the different types of therapists out there, what their training looks like, what services they provide, and what types of specialties they usually have.
What is a “licensed” therapist?
The phrase “licensed therapist” is an umbrella term that includes anyone who is licensed and credentialed to practice therapy. These professionals may include therapists, counselors, and social workers.
These roles all require different types of licenses to practice legally, and the licensure requirements vary from state to state. The key takeaway is that if you pick a licensed therapist, you know that person has met certain educational and training requirements, and that their training was overseen by a professional credentialing organization.
The difference between licensed therapists and other mental health providers
You might be wondering what the difference is between a licensed therapist and other providers who can help you with mental health issues, such as psychiatrists, nurses, nurse practitioners, or primary care physicians (PCPs). Like licensed therapists, both psychiatrists and PCPs can diagnose mental health conditions — however, only medical doctors, including psychiatrists, can prescribe medication to help with mental health issues. Most psychiatrists also have training in therapy, though not all focus on that. Some PCPs have mental health or counseling experience, but not all do.
There are others who may provide support for one’s mental health, such as peer counselors or religious clergy members such as priests, rabbis, imams, and so forth. While these support people can be invaluable, they usually do not have the credentials or training that licensed therapists do.
What are the different types of therapist licenses?
There are quite a few different therapy licenses out there, and requirements and credentials vary from one state to another. Here are some of the most common therapy licenses that you might encounter, and the ones that therapists at Grow Therapy are most likely to have.
Mental health counselors
- LPC: Licensed Professional Counselors
- LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselors
- LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors
- LPCC: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor of Mental Health
- LMHP: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Social workers
- LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Workers
- LICSW: Licensed Independent Social Workers
- ACSW: Academy of Certified Social Workers
- DSW: Doctor of Social Work
Therapists
- LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
Psychologists
- PhD or PsyD: Licensed Psychologists
Other providers who sometimes provide therapy
- PMHNP: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners
- MD: Doctor of Medicine
- DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
What are the paths to becoming one of the types of therapists?
In order to become a licensed therapist, you need to:
- Have educational training — usually a master’s degree or doctoral degree
- After graduation, engage in supervised clinical training
- Pass a licensure exam to become licensed in the state where you are going to practice
- Maintain license status by meeting continuing education requirements between each renewal period.
Different licenses require varied levels of education and training. Licenses that require master’s degrees typically take two to three years to complete, followed by two to three years of clinical work experience under supervision after graduation. Doctoral programs usually take longer, about 4-6 years.
Types of therapist and provider licenses requiring master’s degrees
- LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
- LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
- LPCC: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor of Mental Health
- LMHP: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
- LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
- LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- LICSW: Licensed Independent Social Worker
- ACSW: Academy of Certified Social Workers
- LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Workers
Types of therapist and provider licenses requiring a doctorate
- Psychologists with PhDs (Doctor of Philosophy)
- Psychologist with PsyD (Doctor of Psychology)
Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP) must become a registered nurse (RN) and then complete a master of science degree. Psychiatrists must either complete an MD (doctor of medicine) or a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine).
In terms of clinical practice hours, all degree programs are different, but most require between 1,000-4,000 hours of supervised practice. This means that before a licensed therapist is licensed, they have already spent thousands of hours honing their craft and supporting patients.
Once someone has completed their graduate degree and finished their clinical practice hours, they become eligible to sit for a licensing exam. Each state has a credentialing board which curates the exam. Usually once a candidate takes and passes a licensure exam, they are ready to begin seeing patients without supervision and can open up their own practice or join a mental health clinic.
What specializations do different types of therapists have?
Therapists can have various specializations, experience, and training. For example, some therapists specialize in helping children and teens; some are focused on marriage and couples counseling; others may have training in helping with addiction, grief, and LBGTQ issues.
Many therapists focus on different types of mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, personality disorders, or trauma. It can be helpful to discuss your needs with any potential therapist and find out if they have experience helping people like you.
In addition to specialization, therapists may have training in specific kinds of therapy modalities, such as:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Humanistic therapy
- Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT)
- Mentalization-based therapy (MBT)
- Interpersonal therapy
- Exposure therapy
What services do different types of therapists provide?
What happens in a therapy session and what services your therapist provides will vary depending on your needs, what type of therapy your therapist practices, and what their practice set-up is. Most therapists practice in-person or remotely, in an office, and have regular sessions with their clients, which could be individuals, couples, or families.
Some therapists work with children or teens; others work with families or other groupings. Usually these sessions happen once per week, but when someone is in a crisis, the sessions may happen more often.
Now, more than ever, therapists are offering online therapy. This may include video sessions or phone calls; sometimes texting or messaging occurs, which can be helpful in certain situations but is not considered to be the best method for ongoing therapy. Virtual options can be helpful for someone who has odd working hours, doesn’t have many therapy options in their area, or who has young children at home.
Most therapy sessions involve talking and sharing what you are struggling with. It’s okay if you don’t want to share very much at first! Your therapist will guide you based on your comfort levels. Most therapists don’t give out advice; they listen, provide education about new ways of framing your experiences, and empower you to find solutions to your issues and concerns. Depending on the type of therapy they practice, your therapist may offer you helpful tools for managing your mental health.
Although it can be helpful to find a therapist who specializes in an area you are struggling with, and who has training that matches your needs, the most important thing is to find someone who you feel comfortable with. Therapists have certain methods and styles, but the main goal of therapy is for you to have a place where you can safely share your feelings, which is why finding someone who you “click” with is vital.
The bottom line
As you begin your search for a therapist, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by all the different types of therapists out there, and to feel unsure of which kind of therapist to pick. It’s okay to be unsure of what you need at first. You may need to try a few different therapists until you find one who you feel comfortable with — that’s okay too!
Reaching out for help can be scary, but taking that first step is so brave, and you should be proud that you are making your mental health a priority.
Whether the first step is talking to a loved one about the idea of starting therapy or searching through our community of in-network, qualified therapists and psychiatrists, help is here.
