What therapists are and what they do

Generally speaking, a therapist is someone who is professionally trained to diagnose and treat a particular range of conditions. For our purposes, the term “therapist” typically refers to someone who holds an advanced degree in the field of mental health (usually psychology). 

The letters that follow a therapist's name indicate their level of education and training and/or their job title. Most therapists have either a Master's or a Doctoral Degree. Below is a list of the most common abbreviations found after a therapist's name. Those with an asterisk (*) indicate a doctoral degree and are the only ones referred to as "doctor." Those without an asterisk are Masters-level degrees and are typically referred to as "therapist" or "counselor."

ARNP       Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner* 

DO            Doctor of Osteopathic of Medicine* 

LCSW      Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LMHC     Licensed Mental Health Counselor

LPC           Licensed Professional Counselor

MA            Master of Arts

MD            Doctor of Medicine* 

MFT         Marriage and Family Therapy 

MS             Master of Science

MSW        Masters in Social Work 

PhD           Doctor of Philosophy* 

PsyD         Doctor of Philosophy (alternative)*

NOTE: The inclusion of periods in a therapist's title (e.g., Ph.D. versus PhD) has no bearing on the therapist's qualifications. 

A Masters Degree is specialized field of study pursued after college. It includes further study and training in the mental health field with particular emphasis  on assessment and treatment across a broad spectrum of conditions. 

It is within a Master's training program that therapists first see patients in one-to-one therapeutic settings. While they are still in training (i.e., before they are awarded the degree), therapy occurs under supervision of a licensed provider.

Some programs are rigorous in their supervisory standards. For instance, a program may require that every session with a patient be audio and/or video recorded and reviewed by a licensed mental health supervisor to build the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the developing therapist. 

Other programs have far more lax standards in their supervisory requirements, which can affect the therapist's skill supervision. This is especially true with online degree programs since the opportunity for a licensed supervisor to observe a trainee's practice and provide direct oversight, feedback, and guidance is far more limited. 

Traditionally, a Master's degree earned at a brick-and-mortar university or training program takes between two to four years. However, there has been an explosion in the growth of online Master's programs (in some cases to the detriment of the public) that allow for more flexibility in the pace and completion of the degree.   

But beware! Graduate programs that do not involve ongoing direct supervision tend to have a lower bar for completion. That is not to say that someone with an online degree can't be a competent therapist. However, the absence of supervision and oversight during training is is akin to being a mechanic  who has learned everything about diagnosing and repairing your car's engine without ever having popped the hood on an actual automobile.  

A Doctoral Degree is the highest level of education and training a therapist can attain. The letters indicating a doctorate are: 

Ph.D.     Doctor of Philosophy                                            [Psychologist]

Psy.D.    Doctor of Philosophy (Alternative)               [Psychologist]

M.D.      Doctor of Medicine                                               [Psychiatrist]

D.O.       Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine                    [Psychiatrist]

Doctoral degrees are earned after the Master's Degree (though in many cases, the Masters is earned as part of a Doctoral program) and they follow even more rigorous standards. Class sizes range from 5 students in an entire cohort (for PhD programs) to 50-100 or more (for PsyD programs). 

Receiving a doctorate in psychology or psychiatry affords far greater depth and breadth of training and experience in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental conditions.  In the case of PhD programs, this also includes training in research, academia, and teaching. 

A doctoral degree typically takes between five and eight years to complete after the Master's degree, so the total amount of education and training after college can be as many as 10 years or more. 

Generally speaking a psychiatrist prescribes medication while a psychologist generally does not. There are several states that allow psychologists to obtain additional training and certification to prescribe medications and while that number is relatively small right now (about 5 states),  there is a growing movement for expanding this element of professional practice for  psychologists. 

It depends on what you are looking for in a therapist. Psychiatrists follow a medical model and primarily focus on treating the symptoms of a condition rather than the root causes. 

Psychologists focus on symptomatic relief with interventions other than medications and they more deeply examine the psychological processes underlying mental condition for meaningful, lasting change.

NOTE: Psychologists and psychiatrists do not operate in a vacuum. It is not at all uncommon for a psychologist to refer a patient to a psychiatrist for medications when indicated. Likewise, a psychiatrist may refer a cleint to a psychologist to more comprehensively address the psychological processes impacting them. 

When someone is described as a “licensed” provider, it means they have met the requisite standards to provide their services independently and are essentially granted "permission to practice." Licensing laws are designed to protect public health by ensuring that practitioners are qualified to provide the services they offer. 

As an example, in order to become a licensed psychologist, most states require a degree from an accredited institution, post-graduate training (such as an internship, residency, and/or fellowship), and a minimum number of supervised hours of work (2000-4000 hours minimum). Licensed providers must pass a national written examination and jurisprudence exam and they are required to maintain relevant certification in a number of areas (e.g., ethics, suicide prevention) through continuing education for the life of the licensure. 

Therapists that work as part of an organization may or may not require an independent license in order to practice. In those cases that do not require the individual to hold a license of their own, their therapist should be covered under the umbrella license of the organization.   

It is important to note that with the enduring restrictions posed by the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the need for services provided remotely (e.g., through platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams). This trend is likely to expand in the next several years (see Types of Therapy).

No. A Bachelor's Degree (BA or BS) is not sufficient to function as an independent therapist.