What degrees and licenses mean

Let's discuss the basic degrees and credentials that you will often see.

You can divide credentials up into degrees, and licenses.

• A degree is earned from a university or college.
• A license is granted by the state and entitles the licensee to practice their profession in that state only, according to the state's regulations.
• Common licenses include LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), and LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor).
• Many states require a licensed professional to have earned a degree in order to get a license. This is often a masters degree, for instance a Masters in Social Work or a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling.
• Most therapists have a masters-level degree. Some have a Doctorate-level degree.
• Therapists often hold a Masters degree -- frequently an MA, MFC, MSW, or MS.
• Therapists often hold a doctorate degree -- frequently a PhD.

Therapists with masters degrees

A Masters level degree means the therapist has a Bachelors degree and then has gone on and done two years of additional post-graduate education.

Common examples include a therapist who is a marriage counselor, who often has a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling (called an MFC), and a social worker, who often has a MSW, or Masters in Social Work.

Therapists with doctorates -- psychologists

A Doctorate degree means that the therapist has a Bachelor's degree and then has gone on and done a more rigorous four years of additional post-graduate education.

A Doctorate is most often a PhD although there are some others. A Doctorate degree lets the therapist be called "Doctor So-and-so" and also entitles the therapist to hold herself out as a psychologist.

So when you hear a therapist say she is a psychologist, you know she has a Doctorate degree, typically a PhD.

MDs, medical doctors and psychiatrists

One more degree to be aware of is the MD. An MD has gone through four years of medical school after attending college. Some of them will become board certified in psychiatry and will call themselves psychiatrists.

MDs often are called in to prescribe medication because in most states, only MDs can prescribe medication.

Some MDs also do therapy.

Types of therapists

• Licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)
• Marital and family therapist
• Mental Health Counselor
• Psychiatric Nurse
• Psychiatrist
• Psychologist
• Social worker

What's the difference between marriage counselors and social workers?

Marriage counselors and social workers generally need to have a Masters degree and are licensed to provide therapy by their state.

Marriage counselors typically work with couples, married or not, while social workers often work with a variety of situations that might include couples and marriage counseling, counseling in adoption situations, children who are delinquent or addicted to drugs, adults or children with bipolar disorders, etc.

The other differences are often in the quantity of hours of clinical training that each has completed. Some states require a marriage counselor to have 1000 hours of supervised therapy, while social workers must complete 3000 hours of supervised therapy, but this varies by state.