Therapist Licensures
'Therapist' is a very general term to indicate a person offering help in achieving and maintaining mental wellness. Providers range from medical doctors, to counselors with various training, to spiritual guides or physical therapists. The letters after a therapist's name describes their licensure and therefore their training, which will help to guide you in your selection while seeking help. We provide the following information to help you make a more informed choice.
APRN: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - All APRNs have a Master’s degree and have met clinical practice requirements for their specialization. |
BC: Board Certified |
BE: Board Eligible (working toward certification) |
CGP: Certified Group Psychotherapist – a practitioner who is committed to group psychotherapy as an autonomous treatment modality. Has a minimum of a Master’s degree in a clinical mental health or related health field. |
CNS: Clinical Nurse Specialist - A Psychiatric Mental Health CNS is an advanced practice nurse who has completed both a BS and a Masters degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and has passed the CNS certification examination. They can provide counseling services, psychotherapy, group therapy, case management, education, program development and other services relevant to caring for persons with mental and emotional disturbances. CNS’s must be recertified every 5 years. |
CPT: Certified Personal Trainer |
CRC: Certified Rehabilitation Counselor – trained to assist persons with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals in the most integrated setting possible through the application of the counseling process. |
CSAC: Certified Substance Abuse Counselor |
DMFT: Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy - a practitioner-oriented Doctoral degree designed to develop skills in both family therapy practice and wider applications of systems skills to organizational, structural and community settings. |
L.Ac: Licensed acupuncturist. |
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker - a Master’s degree in social work with additional hours of practice work . Must pass board examinations. May not prescribe medications. |
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, also sometimes called a Marriage, Child and Family Counselor (MFCC) - Master’s degree in psychology or counseling, with emphasis on private counseling. May not prescribe medications. |
LPsy: Licentiate in Psychology - professional title used in EU and Latin American countries and equivalent of PsyD of the US. |
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) - Master's degree in counseling or a related field. In addition to their education, LPCs must obtain supervised clinical experience and must pass a state licensing exam. |
LSATP : Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner - Master’s level graduate study in substance abuse treatment or a related counseling discipline. Must pass the Examination for Master Addictions Counselors (EMAC). |
MD: Doctor of Medicine (psychiatrist) - a physician who specializes in psychiatry and is certified in treating mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy. As part of their evaluation of the patient, psychiatrists are one of only a few mental health professionals who may prescribe psychiatric medication, conduct physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests and electroencephalograms, and may order brain imaging studies such as computed tomography or computed axial tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography scanning. |
MFCC: Marriage, Child and Family Counselor (see LMFT) |
MSW: Master's degree in Social Work (or social welfare) - required for advancement into an LCSW |
MSC: Master of Science in Counseling - Master’s level training in counseling individuals, families and groups in a variety of occupational venues. |
NP: Nurse Practitioner – Psychiatric Mental Health NP is an advanced practice nurse who has completed both a BS and a Masters degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and has passed the NP certification examination. NP’s can conduct psychiatric and physical examinations, make diagnoses, write prescriptions for medications, order and interpret laboratory tests and electroencephalograms, evaluate progress and side effects attributed to medications, provide brief counseling sessions and medication management groups, and other services relevant to caring for persons with mental and emotional disturbances. NP’s must be recertified every 5 years. |
PhD: Doctor of Philosophy (in Psychology) – Doctoral level training to conduct independent research and to provide professional services (consultation, assessment, diagnosis). Must meet state requirements and obtain a license to practice psychology. |
PsyD: Doctor of Psychology - At one time, the PsyD did not require significant research activities, focusing more on advanced clinical training. However, most academic institutions offering a PsyD today require the completion of a research dissertation. |
RD: Registered Dietitian |
RN: Registered Nurse - Nurse licensed by the State Board of Nursing. There are 3 types of RN:
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