Are You a Psychiatrist or a Therapist?
I get asked some version of this question every week.
Therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, social worker - there are many different professional titles in mental health. How do you know who to call first? How do you know who can help? How can you tell how much experience they have?
You can use the guide below to decipher the various titles you see after people’s names. Remember to always ask the person you are talking to a few important questions:
What is your professional training (number of years, which institutions, clinical settings they trained in [inpatient, emergency room, outpatient]) ?
What is your expertise in diagnosing and treating psychiatric illnesses?
Who is your supervisor (if they are not a Physician or a full license Psychologist) and will your supervisor talk to me and evaluate me (or my child) directly?
How many cases like mine (or my child’s) have you treated? What is your success rate?
GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TITLES
Psychiatrist (M.D. or D.O.): Physician (Doctor) who completed college and medical school (8 years total), followed by residency (3-4 years) and sometimes fellowship (1-2 years) to become experts in mental health diagnosis and treatment. Trained for over 10,000 hours under strict supervision by other psychiatrists in all types of clinical settings before being able to practice independently. Need to pass multiple rigorous board exams overseen by physicians. Can practice independently (without supervision) and can prescribe medications and perform psychotherapy.
Physician assistant (PA): Completed college degree (4 years) followed by physician assistant school (2.5 years), with approx. 3,000 hours of clinical training, 600 of which are in psychiatry. Cannot prescribe medications in Michigan without supervision from a psychiatrist. They do not receive formal training in psychotherapy.
Nurse practitioner (NP or PMHNP): Nurse who completed college degree in nursing (4 years) followed by a masters degree in nursing (1-2 years). Limited clinical training in psychiatry of approx. 600 hours under supervision. Cannot prescribe medications in Michigan without supervision from a psychiatrist. They do not receive formal training in psychotherapy.
Therapist/Counselor: Broad terms that can refer to a number of individuals (psychologist, social worker, licensed counselor) who provide psychotherapy treatment without prescribing medications.
Psychologist (PhD or PsyD): Completed college degree (4 years) followed by a PhD or PsyD degree in psychology (4-6 years) and an additional 1-2 years of supervised clinical training. Can practice independently once fully licensed and they are experts in administering specific diagnostic tests and evaluations (e.g., autism, learning disorders, IQ testing) and in performing psychotherapy. They cannot prescribe medications.
Limited License Psychologist (LLP): Completed college degree (4 years) followed by a masters degree in psychology (2-3 years). Can practice only under supervision from a fully licensed psychologist.
Temporary Limited License Psychologist (TLLP): Similar to LLP, but they are practicing under a limited license while gaining the clinical experience necessary to obtain the permanent LLP license.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): Completed college degree (4 years) followed by masters or doctorate degree in counseling (2-4 years) and competed 3,000 hours of delivering psychotherapy under supervision.
Limited License Professional Counselor (LLPC): Similar to LPC, but they are during the period of obtaining the 3,000 hours of working under supervision.
Social worker (LCSW): Completed college degree (4 years) and a masters degree (2 years) in social work, and accumulated work hours under supervision. Can work as therapists, case managers, or in advocacy.