What the $#%^ do all Those Letters After Therapists’ Names Mean?

Finding the right therapist is never easy. There’s a lot of us to begin with, and many of us have different degrees and acronyms after our names. Here is a breakdown of what those differences are:

If you see LMHC or LPC:

—LMHC stands for “Licensed Mental Health Counselor.” LPC stands for “Licensed Professional Counselor.” There is no difference, other than some states decide to give therapists different acronyms (for example, California uses LPCC!). In the world of mental health, therapist can also mean counselor which also can mean psychotherapist. They’re all names for the same thing, which is someone who is a therapist and is licensed in one or more states.

If you see LMSW or LSCW:

—LMSW stands for Licensed Masters Social Worker and LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. LCSWs have more experience than LMSWs (usually) and are licensed by the state. When social workers complete a masters degree, they are are automatically assigned the LMSW designation. After 3 years of clinical supervised experience, they receive the LCSW designation. Keep in mind “social worker’ does not mean what you might think it means. Licensed clinical social workers are therapists. There is essentially no difference in LCSWs or LMHCs other than some slight differences in their educational training.

If you see M.D or NPP:

—Anyone with an MD or NPP is a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner. They prescribe medication and rarely do therapy, though there are exceptions to this rule. They also provide psychiatric evaluations.

If you see Ph.D or Psy.D:

—This person has completed a doctorate in a psychology program and is a licensed psychologist, or is on their way to becoming a licensed psychologist. They often do therapy along with other services like evaluations. Clinical training is often similar to LCSWs or LMHCs, though psychologists have more training in assessment/evaluations and are required to do more research.

If you see CASAC:

—CASAC stands for “Certified Substance Abuse Counselor.” if this person ONLY has a CASAC after their name, they are not likely not a licensed therapist. Any certification is usually short-term, and does not mean that someone is licensed in their state.