What do those letters mean?

• Choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming. Credentials like LCSW, LMFT, LPC/LMHC, PhD, PsyD, MD, and PMHNP can look like a ranking system.

• They’re not.

• Each involves graduate-level training, supervised clinical experience, licensing exams, and oversight by professional boards. Most can provide psychotherapy.

The letters mostly tell you:

• What kind of education someone completed
  Whether they can prescribe medication or perform psychological testing
  What they tend to pay attention to when understanding stress, behavior, or mental health

• They do not tell you:

• Who you’ll connect with
  Whether you’ll feel understood or respected
  How skilled, thoughtful, or professional someone is

The differences, simply

LCSW (Social Worker)
Masters level. Connects what’s happening psychologically or emotionally with what’s happening in your life. Often pays close attention to systems, environment, relationships, oppression, and access to care.

LMFT (Marriage & Family Therapist)
Masters level. You might be talking about anxiety, they’re listening and wondering about how this impacts and is impacted by relationships. 

LPC / LMHC (Professional Counselor)
Masters level. Pulls from a range of therapy approaches and focused on the therapeutic process. 

PhD / PsyD (Psychologist)
Doctorate level. Provides therapy and psychological testing. Often helpful when something needs to be formally evaluated, measured, clarified, or documented.

Psychiatrist (MD/DO)
Medical doctor who diagnoses and prescribes medication.

PMHNP (Nurse Practitioner)
Masters or doctorate level. Also diagnoses and prescribes medication. Some provide psychotherapy in addition to medication management.

What matters most

That you are respected, feel understood and whether the work is adding value to your life.

If you have questions about my background, training, or approach, feel free to ask. You are allowed to know who you are working with.