Between COVID, inflation, work, school, kids and relationships you may have been feeling depressed, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. Maybe you have decided to see a therapist. Congratulations! This is the first step in getting the support you need.
Sometimes it is difficult to know who to see if you are struggling in your life. Perhaps the following may give you some ideas of the right therapist to choose.
Example 1: Natalie is married, works full-time and has two children. Her bosses have been pressuring her to go back to college to get her MBA if she wants to advance at the company. She has started school, but feels totally overwhelmed and anxious. She doesn’t sleep well and wakes up as tired as when she went to bed 8 hours ago. She needs someone to help her manage the stress she has been feeling.
She contacts a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who can help her with her anxiety and teach her some skills for managing her stress.
Example 2: Stephen has just landed a great new job. When he is at work he is easily distracted by noises and people talking. He “loses” track of items he needs to complete a task and he struggles to complete tasks on time. His primary care provider thinks Stephen might have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that medication might help.
Stephen is referred to a psychiatric mental health – nurse practitioner (PMH-NP) who can provide him with talk therapy and if needed, medication to help him with his ADHD symptoms.
Example 3: Meagan has spent 2 years of COVID lockdowns juggling working from home and remote learning for her 3 children. In the evening, after her children go to bed, Meagan started drinking “a glass or two” of wine to relax. She knows this really isn’t good for her, but feels she may need some help to reach her goal of abstinence.
Meagan contacts a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor (LADC) to learn skills to cut down or maybe even abstain from her alcohol usage.
Example 4: Andrew has struggled with hearing voices when no one is around. The voices sometimes tell him he is a “loser” or that he should do something “bad” or destructive. He is usually pretty good at controlling the voices, except when he is drinking alcohol. He talked with his primary care provider about the voices.
Andrew is referred to a psychiatrist to make a diagnosis and provide medication if needed.
Terms
The terms that are used for people who provide mental health treatment vary. Therapist, clinician, provider, counselor, behavioral health provider and mental health clinician are all fairly interchangeable and can be used to describe someone who provides behavioral health or mental health counseling.
Providers who are licensed are people who have:
- graduated from an accredited school
- passed a licensing exam
- received direct supervision during a conditionally licensed period
- received a license by their jurisdiction or state
There are also people who may provide therapy, but they are unlicensed. Be wary of someone offering therapy who is not licensed. They do not have the expertise to provide you with the behavioral health care that you deserve.
Credentials
LADC: Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor
- Therapy by a LADC can treat predominately substance use issues.
- Licensed
- Not reimbursable by most insurances
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LIPSW or License Independent Practice Social Worker
LISW or Licensed Independent Social Worker
LMSW or Licensed Master Social Worker
- Therapy by a LCSW can treat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and/or substance use. Focus is on the individual within his or her environment, for example, relationship or parenting stress.
- Licensed
- Reimbursable by most insurances
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
- Therapy by a LCPC can treat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and/or substance use.
- Licensed
- Reimbursed by some insurances. Generally not reimbursable by Medicare or Medicaid.
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Therapy by a LMFT can treat mental health issues and/or substance use issues within the family.
- Licensed
- Reimbursable by most insurances
PMH-NP: Psychiatric Mental Health-Nurse Practitioner
- Therapy by a PMH-NP can treat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and/or substance use.
- Licensed
- Reimbursable by most insurances
- In some states a PMH-NP can prescribe medication used to treat mental health disorders.
LP: Licensed Psychologist
PhD or Doctor of Philosophy
PsyD or Doctor of Psychology
EdD or Doctor of Education
- Therapy by a LP can treat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and/or substance use. The focus is on the individual vs. his or her environment.
- Licensed
- Reimbursable by most insurances
- Some states allow PsyDs to prescribe medication to treat mental health disorders.
MD: Medical Doctor with a specialty in Psychiatry
DO or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- Therapy by a psychiatrist can treat mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and/or substance use. Focus is on the medical aspect of mental illness.
- Licensed
- Reimbursable by most insurances
- Prescribes medication for psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Conditional Licensing
Every state is unique in what they call their behavioral health providers who have not completed all of their requirements to be fully licensed. These individuals, with supervision, are still allowed to provide therapy. Some states use the term ”conditional” and some states use the term “provisional” for their not fully licensed providers. Both terms indicate the provider:
- has graduated from an accredited school
- has passed a licensing exam
- is receiving direct supervision for a designated period of time or a designated number of client hours.
Conditional licensing credentials might look something like this:
- LADC-C or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor-Conditional
- LCSW-C or Licensed Clinical Social Worker – Conditional
Take Away Point
Therapy is a journey. Feeling “better” does not happen overnight! Choosing the right behavioral health provider can be helpful in determining the outcome of your treatment. Be an informed consumer!
The next stage in your journey to better mental health will be in my next blog, “Finding a Therapist”.
With warmest regards,
Thank you so much for reading this blog. If you enjoyed the content, please check out other blogs at:
www.relationshipsrelearned.com
www.rvingnomads.com
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