What are the types of mental health providers?

I posted earlier about how to find the right therapist, but wanted to elaborate on an important piece: the different types of mental health providers. There are many different types of mental health providers, and while this means that there are many trained to meet your needs, it can also be overwhelming to understand how to sort through the providers nearby to find someone who fits what you’re looking for. Here’s a small and general breakdown, with the caveat that each individual provider has their own journey in developing their expertise. 

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD) who specializes in mental health after completing medical school. A psychiatrist can diagnose and treat mental health disorders with medication. There are also psychiatric mental health nurses and nurse practitioners who are trained in providing support around medication, as well as physician assistants who specialize in psychiatry. 

A psychologist is trained in psychology — the science of thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Typically, they hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D.). Psychologists can diagnose, assess, and treat mental illness through psychotherapy, and are able to prescribe medication in some states. Psychotherapy aims to understand and address the core issues rooting current problems, in order to create lasting change and personal growth. 

Social Workers can also be trained specifically in mental health. A licensed clinical social worker must have a master's degree in social work (M.S.W.) and some have a doctorate in social work (D.S.W. or Ph.D.). LCSW-Cs pursue additional training and supervision for their license. These social workers can provide assessment, diagnosis, counseling and a range of other services, depending on their licensing and training. 

Licensed professional counselors have different training requirements by state, but most have a masters degree and clinical experience with counseling. Counseling is generally used to denote a treatment that is focused on a specific situation or concern, and can be targeted in providing suggestions and advice for dealing with it. Counselors are able to provide diagnosis and counseling for a range of concerns. 

Of course, there are many factors that may impact your decision beyond level and specificity of education. These can include years of experience, therapy modality, session cost, etc. Hopefully, as you assess where you are in your journey towards wellness, and what you need to continue, this information will help you understand what type of provider you need!