The Alphabet Soup of Mental Health
What’s it all mean?
MD, DO, PsD, Ph.D, LCSW, LMHC, LPC, MFT, CASAC…
The alphabet soup of Mental health is perhaps one of the most confusing topics for many. Let’s simplify it so you can know who you are talking to and why you would pick that professional approach to mental health and wellness.
While there are many different types of providers each have their own specific licenses and qualifications and these may vary by state/region. Most licensed providers can do assessment, testing and diagnosing. Why you pick one over the other depends on what you are looking for or experiencing.
* License: Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Prescribe medication
- Diagnose and treat mental health disorders
- Provide therapy
* License: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
- Prescribe medication
- Diagnose and treat mental health disorders
- Provide therapy
License: Doctor of Psychology (PsD) Or Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.)
- Provided psychological assessment
- Provide therapy and counseling
License: Licensed Clinical Social worker (LCSW)
- LCSW’s provide therapy and counseling with a focus on social and environmental factors affecting mental health.
- Perform Mental health screenings
- Perform Life area assessment and develop life plans
License: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Provide counseling and therapy to individuals, families and groups
License: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Provide counseling and therapy to individuals, families and groups
License: Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)
- Work with couples and families to provide therapy to address relational and family issues.
Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)
- Substance abuse counseling/addictions counseling
All approaches to mental health and wellness work in their own way if the individual is proactive. None are miracles in themselves and require collaboration on behalf of the provider and the recipient of services.
At DIWS, we pride ourselves in our social work approach to counseling our client’s. We believe in the ethically and equitable assessment of the individual in their social environmental and the experiences they are having that inform how they are coping and managing with the pressures of life. We offer a collaborative approach with our client at the center of a multidisciplinary team. In developing life area plans and goals with our clients, like our colleagues, we take the time to meet our client’s where they are and counsel them to identify and establish goals and action steps that will bring them to the outcomes that they desire. We may be a bit biased toward social work because we practice this approach and we have seen the results time and time again when successful at walking a wellness journey with those we serve.
If you would like to discuss which of these approaches are best for your unique situations or which combination feel free to schedule an appointment with a member of our clinical team at 845-702-1042 or visit our appointment request tab on our website www.dynamicinterventionllc.com.