There are a many types of psychiatric clinicians with so many abbreviations and letters after their name that it begin to look like alphabet soup.

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IBHA will try to update this webpage periodically to provide information on different provider types, related certifications, and treatments used  - so you know what those letters mean.

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Provider types

(making sense out of alphabet soup)

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LPCC - is a Licensed Professional Certified Counselor. It requires at least a masters education and many hours of clinical supervision by another LPCC to become certified to work independently. The LPCC can work as a counselor for generalized psychotherapy but often gains other certifications that expand upon their therapeutic interventions - such as EMDR or ART.       

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LCADC -a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor is a special certification that allows the licensure for different types of providers expand upon their expertise. To become a LCADC you must have significant (over 2,000 hours)

training and supervision with clients who have substance abuse disorders. The approach is compassion with accountability  - but otherwise approach may vary dependent on the type of training through formal education in Masters Programs prompting terminal degrees in social work or counseling - i.e. LCSW or LPCC.

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LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist:
LMFTs are trained to work with couples and families, addressing relationship and family dynamics. They hold master's degrees and have completed clinical supervision. They use various therapeutic models to help families and couples navigate communication challenges, conflicts, and relationship issues.

 

Psy D. or Ph.D. : Psychologist:
Psychologists are mental health professionals who hold doctoral degrees in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.). They specialize in the study of human behavior and mental processes. Psychologists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health issues using various therapeutic approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, and more. They often work in clinical settings, research, teaching, and may also focus on specific areas such as clinical, counseling, or school psychology.

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LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker:
LCSWs are social workers who have pursued additional training and licensure to provide clinical mental health services. They typically hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and have completed supervised clinical experience. LCSWs are known for their expertise in addressing the psychosocial aspects of mental health and are often skilled in providing therapy, case management, and advocacy for individuals and families. They have a broad scope of practice and can work with diverse populations and in various settings, such as schools, hospitals, and private practices.

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CSW - Clinical Social Worker:
A Clinical Social Worker, or CSW, is similar to an LCSW but may be a broader term used in some regions to describe social workers who engage in clinical practice. The specific requirements and scope of practice can vary by jurisdiction. Generally, CSWs provide therapeutic services and support for individuals dealing with emotional and psychological challenges.

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PMHNP-BC - Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified:

PMHNPs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who have specialized training in psychiatric and mental health care. The "BC" designation signifies that they are board-certified, which is a significant accomplishment in the field.

Click Here for an expansion on the role and qualifications of a PMHNP-BC.

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Certified Types of  Psychotherapeutic Treatment:

(Clinician is trained outside of formal education to enhance treatment -

Requires certification to practice)

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EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - is a therapeutic intervention often used for patients with trauma or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). - through guided sessions, the brain is retrained to reduce the physiological and emotional distress that trauma causes in the limbic system of the brain. In trauma , the limbic system processes all information through our senses before it gets to the higher brain functions  - that's why some people retain the after effects of trauma even after they have reconciled it in their mind - their limbic system is still responding to triggers. 

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ART - Advanced Resolution Therapy - is another form of training automatic responses to trauma  - and is often used in PTSD, Depression, anxiety, grief and addiction. It is a guided therapeutic intervention similar to EMDR, but has recently gained popularity over EMDR because it is believed to take less sessions but have the same effectiveness.  

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General types of therapeutic treatment

(All clinician have basic knowledge of these, but some clinicians use certain intervention more than the others - depending on training) 

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CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - is a mode of therapeutic interventions that employ actions the patient/client  can take to reduce the type of distress they are experiencing.  They are easily learned skills to employ and are usually focus on the point of time in distress, but through repetition can become an adaptive mode of coping with stress.  

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More to come...