January 13, 2023

LICSW, LMHC, or Psychologist? The Differences Between Mental Health Professionals 

By  Lauren Chapin, LICSW
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It can feel daunting when you are searching for a therapist and aren’t sure what all of those letters mean following a person’s name. Is there a difference? Will I get better care with one or the other? How do I know who is right for me? This post outlines the major similarities and differences between the licensure options you’ll find at Castlebrook Counseling Services. Please note that educational and licensure requirements vary by state. 

Education and Training
    LMHCs: To become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, one must first complete a master’s degree in mental health counseling (~2 years). Common courses include theories of personality, psychological testing, psychopathology, foundations of counseling, and ethics. Many counseling programs also incorporate diversity courses and emphasize socio-cultural issues as they pertain to treating individuals and groups. Role play is often used in order to practice counseling skills among peers. After graduation, Mental Health Counselors must have at least two years of clinical supervision in order to sit for the examination to become Licensed. 

    LICSWs: For this level of licensure, a master’s degree in social work is required (~2 years). Social work coursework varies slightly from counseling in that students are required to take more courses that focus on “macro” topics such as issues of diversity, oppression, and privilege, public health policy, program evaluation, and social welfare systems. In addition to these courses, clinical social workers also take classes geared towards providing therapy to individuals, couples, children, and families. Social Workers are first Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) shortly after graduation, which means that they have passed regulatory exams and can practice under the supervision of a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) or other licensed clinician. After at least two years of clinical supervision, LCSWs are eligible to sit for another examination in order to demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge, and achieve LICSW licensure. 

    PsyD: To earn a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology), students must complete a doctorate degree in clinical psychology (~4-6 years). Like in masters level programs, coursework can be tailored toward specific interests or populations. Prospective PsyD’s can also opt to focus on the administration and interpretation of psychological assessments. These programs offer similar coursework to master’s degree programs, but are more intensive and, due to length, offer increased opportunity for practical application of skills. The PsyD differs from the PhD in that it emphasizes clinical experience rather than academic or lab-based research. Several years of clinical supervision are necessary in order to achieve licensure as a Psychologist.

EdD: Instead of a PsyD, some may choose to pursue a doctorate of education in psychology (~3-5 years) in order to obtain licensure as a psychologist. You may find EdDs working as school psychologists or elsewhere in the education field, but they can also work as clinical psychologists in any setting depending on the coursework chosen. These programs are also often heavy in research, offering courses in research methods and advanced statistics. As with PsyD’s and PhDs, several years of clinical supervision are necessary in order to achieve licensure as a Psychologist.  

Supplementary Requirements
    Each degree option also requires students to complete additional requirements in order to graduate such as internships, field practicums, and dissertations. However, this does vary widely by program. Most degree programs will require students to complete field work where they receive supervised experience treating clients in a real-world setting. These settings will vary by interest area and program, but some examples include school counseling, youth and family services, community mental health, hospitals, and the prison system. In some doctorate programs, students are required to complete supervised hours in the university counseling center. For EdD programs, students also need to complete a dissertation which summarizes the research project they have completed during their studies. 

Licensure
    In Massachusetts, all psychotherapists need to be licensed by the state regulatory board corresponding to their education. In order to obtain licensure, all clinicians must pass licensing exams. Each licensure option also requires a specified number of hours of continuing education in order to maintain/renew their license periodically. This ensures that clinicians are kept up to date on emerging research findings, evidenced based practice, and social issues. 

So Who Do I Choose?
    With all of these options, it can be overwhelming to choose. Thankfully, there is no licensure type that is better than another. The best fit for you will depend on the individual clinician’s expertise, interest areas, specific training, and overall personality. Many clinicians with differing licenses are also trained in the same approaches. For example, if you’re interested in receiving Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), you will find that someone from each licensure option is trained in this modality at Castlebrook. 

    Although each licensure type has a different road to becoming clinicians, many end up in the same settings working side by side as a team to achieve similar goals. Whether they have a social work, counseling, education, or psychology background, clinicians are all able to learn from each other’s unique perspectives. Next time you find yourself in search of a therapist, fear not the alphabet soup; there are excellent clinicians in every category. 

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