What Do All These Letters Mean? Therapist Licenses Explained

Finding a therapist can be confusing with all the different types of licenses and titles. The important thing to remember is that all mental health therapists are master’s level (although they can be doctorate level) educated professionals and are all trained to treat mental health conditions. The differences between each mental health professional is how they were trained and educated.

It's helpful to differentiate each discipline in how they treat a problem as my previous professor, Dr. Ben Caldwell, writes in his article, “What’s the difference between an MFT (or LMFT), an LPC (or LPCC), and an LCSW?" explaining each license. Essentially each profession operates and treats problems through a different lens. Summarized below is each license according to Caldwell’s article:

Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW

LCSW’s see problems as lack of support. LCSW’s connect clients to resources that will help them with their problem. The therapist may connect clients to outside support and resources in the community and also connect them to their own personal resources that help and assist them in developing their coping skills and strengths.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT

LMFT’s see problems through relationships. They work through a client’s issues through a relational lens meaning that they are trained to look at past and present relationship dynamics in family, friends and partners that are contributing to a client’s problem. They are trained to treat couples, and families, but they can also treat individuals from this same lens.

License Professional Clinical Counselor - LPCC

LPCC’s focus on the individual, personal growth and development. Problems are seen as issues with mental, emotional and social development. Treatment will be focused on how a client can improve on an individual and developmental level.

Associates - ACSW, AMFT, APCC

To make it even more confusing there are subcategories that indicate where a therapist is in their clinical training in these professions. Associates are therapists that are working towards their license and are in the process of gaining experience through hours with clients. In California, in order to be licensed, an associate is required to complete 3,000 hours of therapy with clients and then pass the licensing exam. Each license has associates: Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC).

Psychologists - PhD, PsyD

Psychologists are doctorate level professionals that focus on the individual and see problems through a lens of dysfunction. Psychologists focus on what is wrong with a client on an individual level. They treat problems based on different theories of understanding of the human experience.

Psychiatrists, MD

The easiest way to differentiate this profession from others is that psychiatrists are the only trained medical doctors and the mental health professional that can prescribe and manage your medications. Psychiatrists specialize specifically in mental health to assess, treat and prescribe medications for your mental health diagnosis.

No matter what a therapist’s title is, know that each therapist has a different style, modality, and speciality, which can make the decision of choosing a therapist even more confusing. Don’t worry. We got you covered.