Choosing a therapist can feel confusing, especially when every provider seems to have different letters after their name. LPCC, LMFT, LCSW, Psy.D., Ph.D., MD... what do they all mean, and how do they differ?

While each profession follows a different path of education and training, all are qualified to diagnose mental health conditions and provide psychotherapy. The information below offers a general overview of the most common mental health credentials to help you better understand your options and make a more informed decision.

The letters after a therapist's name tell you how they were trained, not necessarily how they practice.

For example, an LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, Psy.D., and Ph.D. clinician may all practice from psychodynamic, CBT, ACT, trauma-informed, or other evidence-based approaches. The quality of therapy often depends more on the clinician's experience, ongoing training, personality, therapeutic style, and the strength of the therapeutic relationship than on the specific license they hold.

LPCC - Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (Master's degree)
LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Master's degree)
LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Master's degree)
Psy.D. - Doctor of Psychology (Doctoral degree)
Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Doctoral degree)
MD - Psychiatrist (Medical Doctor)

Common Degree types

Understanding Mental Health Credentials

Mental health professionals come from a variety of educational backgrounds. LPCCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs have a Master's level graduate degree, while psychologists have doctoral degrees (Psy.D. or Ph.D.). Doctoral education typically involves several additional years of training, including advanced study in psychological assessment, diagnosis, psychotherapy, and research. Master's and doctoral level clinicians all have extensive supervised clinical training, and need state licensure to practice independently.

Understanding Education and Training

A Helpful Way to Think About It

In California, psychiatrists (MDs) are the only mental health professionals in this list who can independently prescribe psychiatric medications. (Other physicians and certain advanced practice nurses may also prescribe medications within their scope of practice, but among the mental health professions listed above, psychiatrists are the prescribing specialists.)

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about navigating finding a therapist during a consultation.