When it comes to seeking services from a mental health professional, it can be very confusing with all the different titles in the field of psychology. Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker are just a few of the different types of mental health professionals serving individuals in need. This might make your search overwhelming and discouraging if you are not familiar with their differences and roles. There are many similarities between these different professions in terms of practice setting and treatment of mental health problems. The difference lies within their specialization and educational background.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor (M.D. or D.O) with four years of psychiatric residency training. They can assess both the physical and mental health of an individual. A person might seek out a psychiatrist for a number of concerns including challenges with anxiety and depression, hallucinations, and difficulties functioning in daily life. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication to help individuals with their symptoms. In addition, some psychiatrists provide psychotherapy, also known as counseling. You can find psychiatrists in many different settings such as hospitals, private practice, and government agencies.
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychologists have a doctoral degree (Psy.D or Ph.D.) in the field of psychology and receive both predoctoral internship and postgraduate residency training. They are experienced in conducting clinical interviews, psychological testing and evaluations. Clinical psychologists cannot prescribe medication. Instead, they use psychotherapy, often utilizing different approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and play therapy with children, to treat mental disorders. Clinical psychologists can also work with legal cases, helping families with therapeutic reunification and parenting coordination. They can be found in numerous mental health settings, such as outpatient private practice, hospitals, and community mental health centers.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Licensed mental health counselors have a master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) in a mental health-related field and have gone through a period of supervision before earning their license. They are trained to evaluate a person’s mental health and provide counseling to address the emotional and psychological challenges. Psychotherapists may use a variety of therapeutic techniques based upon age and issue, such as play therapy, CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). A child, parent or adult might come to a LMHC for individual counseling, couples counseling, or family counseling. They can be found in a variety of settings, such as schools, private clinics, as well as nursing homes and hospitals.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Licensed clinical social workers have a master’s degree (M.S.W.) in social work. They also go through a period of supervision before earning their license. Their practice areas may be similar to that of a LMHC, but they also have broad training in social work. LCSW’s can work in many different settings with a variety of populations. They can offer counseling as well as advocacy services to help individuals improve their quality of life. They can work in schools to help students struggling academically or socially, with children in homes who are victims of abuse or poverty, as well as support clients with substance abuse problems.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of the different types of mental health professionals and what they can do. Each professional may specialize in a certain population or treatment for mental health issues. For this reason, it is important to seek out a professional who is familiar with the age of the client and the presenting concern. Do some research on the provider that you are interested in to gauge if they will be a good fit for you. Whatever type of professional you choose, their goal is the same, in helping you overcome the challenges you are facing.
Tina Ho, B.A.
