Search By Provider Type

The Mental-Health Workforce at a Glance

When you’re searching for mental health support, you’ll notice different professional titles. While words like “therapist,” “counselor,” or “clinician” are often used broadly, the license a provider holds determines their training, what services they can offer, and whether they can prescribe medication. Here’s a quick guide to the most common roles you’ll encounter.

A psychiatrist (MD or DO) is a medical doctor who completes four years of medical school plus four years of psychiatric residency. Psychiatrists can both diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication, making them the go-to option if you’re considering medication management as part of your care.

A psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is a registered nurse with additional graduate-level training in psychiatry, usually taking two to four years after earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. PMHNPs can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication, though prescribing rules may differ depending on the state.

A clinical psychologist (PhD or PsyD) spends five to seven years completing doctoral-level education, internships, and postdoctoral training. They are qualified to diagnose mental health conditions and provide therapy, but they do not prescribe medication.

A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) holds a master’s degree in social work plus two to three years of supervised practice. LCSWs can diagnose mental health conditions and provide therapy, but they do not prescribe medication.

A licensed professional counselor (LPC, LPC-MH, and related titles) has a two-year master’s degree in counseling followed by supervised practice. They can diagnose and provide therapy but cannot prescribe medication.

A licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) also completes a two-year master’s program and two to three years of supervised practice, with special focus on family systems and relationship dynamics. Like other counseling professionals, LMFTs can diagnose and provide therapy but do not prescribe.

Finally, a certified peer specialist or coach has training through a state certification program or private course. They do not diagnose or prescribe, but they use their own lived experience to provide valuable support, encouragement, and guidance.

Key Professional Roles, Credentials, and Typical Use-Cases

Below is a closer look at how each provider type can help and when they’re most beneficial.

• Psychiatrist (MD/DO) – Physicians who specialize in mental disorders. Ideal for complex diagnoses (e.g., bipolar disorder), medication management, or when hospitalization may be needed. Many also offer psychotherapy but often focus on 20- to 30-minute medication visits.
• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) – Advanced practice nurses who can assess, diagnose, and prescribe. They bring a holistic, nursing-centered lens and are often more available than psychiatrists for routine med follow-ups.
• Clinical Psychologist (PhD/PsyD) – Experts in assessment, testing, and evidence-based talk therapy such as CBT, ACT, or DBT. Some specialize in neuropsychological evaluations for ADHD, dementia, or learning differences.
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – Provide therapy and are skilled at connecting clients with community resources (housing, benefits, support groups). Helpful when social determinants such as finances or caregiving stress compound mental-health symptoms.
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) – Focus on individual, group, or couples therapy for anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Training emphasizes counseling techniques and human development.
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) – Specialize in relational and systemic therapy. Effective for couples counseling, family conflict, parenting issues, and situations where one member’s symptoms affect the whole household.
• Certified Peer Specialist / Coach – Individuals with lived experience of recovery, trained to provide hope, accountability, and skills practice. Best as an adjunct to clinical care or for maintenance after therapy ends.

Other terms you might hear: 

• Caregiver: Family members, as well as specially trained caregivers, who provide care through in-home assistance, community programs, and residential facilities to support everyday living. They allow for patients who need long-term care to be able to live in their homes and participate in their community. These individuals include, but are not limited to: family members, friends, social workers, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists and mentors. 
• Case Manager: A mental health provider appointed by a mental health service to plan and oversee the patient's recovery. Often referred to as service coordinators, advocates, and facilitators, they organize and coordinate services for individual patients and their families. Appointed during recovery, they help with things like: scheduling assessments, preparing treatment plans, managing day-to-day issues, making recovery plans with goals and strategies, and ending involvement in mental health services. 

Choosing the Right Provider Type for Your Situation

​​When you’re deciding what kind of mental health provider to see, it helps to think about your symptoms, your goals, and the style of care that feels right for you. Different providers are suited for different needs:

If you’re starting therapy for the first time—maybe for anxiety, stress, or mild depression—a good fit could be a licensed professional counselor (LPC), a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), or a psychologist.

If you’re looking for a medication evaluation or you’ve tried therapy before but your condition feels more resistant to treatment, then a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is usually the best place to start.

For challenges like relationship distress or parenting conflicts, an LMFT is specifically trained in family systems and can help you navigate those dynamics.

If you or your child needs formal psychological testing—for ADHD, autism, or learning issues—a psychologist is the right choice.

Sometimes people need a combination of support. For example, if you’d benefit from both therapy and medication, you may work with a therapist alongside a psychiatrist or PMHNP as a team.

For help with navigating benefits, housing, or caregiving resources, an LCSW can connect you with services while also providing therapy.

And if what you need most is motivation, encouragement, and peer accountability, a certified peer specialist or coach may be a helpful addition to your support system.

Mental health care often follows a stepped-care approach: you start with the least intensive service likely to be effective, and if progress stalls, you can “step up” to more intensive options—like adding medication or moving to a structured outpatient program. This approach balances access, cost, and clinical needs while keeping you supported at every stage.

Understanding Credentials and Quality Signals

• License verification. Every state licensing board offers a public lookup. Enter the professional’s last name to confirm active status and review any disciplinary actions.
• Board certification vs. licensure. For physicians, board certification in psychiatry indicates passing rigorous specialty exams beyond a general medical license.
• Advanced training badges. Examples include EMDR (trauma), DBT (emotion regulation), Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), eating-disorder certifications, LGBTQIA+ competency certificates, and culturally specific programs.
• Continuing-education record. Most boards require annual learning hours; a therapist who regularly trains in evidence-based modalities is more likely to offer up-to-date care.
• Professional affiliations. Membership in associations (e.g., American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers) may signal adherence to ethical codes and best practices.

The Different Types of Care Settings

• Private practice (in-person or virtual). Offers flexibility in scheduling and modality. Often shorter wait times than large systems but may be out-of-network.
• Telehealth-only platforms. Provide statewide access, evening/weekend slots, and easy switching if the match isn’t right. Good for rural areas or busy schedules.
• Community mental health centers & FQHCs. Sliding-scale or Medicaid-friendly, integrated with primary care. Waitlists can be longer, but services are comprehensive.
• Hospital outpatient programs & partial-hospitalization programs (PHP/IOP). Structured, multi-disciplinary care for several hours a day, useful for moderate-to-severe symptoms that don’t require 24/7 hospitalization.
• College counseling centers & employee-assistance programs (EAPs). Short-term, goal-focused therapy plus referrals; great first stop for students or employees who need brief intervention.

Collaborative & Integrated Care Models

Mental health care today is less about working in silos and more about teamwork. Many people get the best results when different providers collaborate and coordinate care. Here are some of the most common models you might encounter:

In a Primary-Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model, your primary-care doctor works side by side with an embedded therapist. This setup is especially helpful if you’re managing mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression and prefer to receive care in a familiar medical setting.

The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) also takes place in primary care. In this approach, your doctor teams up with a care manager and a consulting psychiatrist. The psychiatrist doesn’t necessarily see you directly but supports your doctor’s medication management, improving outcomes and often reducing long wait times for specialty care.

For people with moderate-to-severe symptoms, an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) may be recommended. These programs involve psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, peers, and sometimes dietitians, offering several hours of therapy on multiple days each week.

A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides an even higher level of support with a full hospital-based team. PHPs are often used as a step down from inpatient care once safety is stabilized, or as a step up from standard outpatient therapy when more structure is needed.

For highly specific conditions—like eating disorders, PTSD, or OCD—you might seek out a specialty clinic. These centers are staffed by clinicians trained in protocol-driven, evidence-based approaches designed to address complex cases with concentrated expertise.

Tip if you’re coordinating your own care: If you’re working with both a therapist and a prescriber, it’s a good idea to sign a release of information. This allows your providers to share progress notes, which helps prevent duplicated efforts, conflicting advice, and potential medication interactions.

How do I know if a provider is the right fit for me?

A good place to start is to consider your specific needs and priorities. What do you hope to get out of your experience? Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

1. Does the provider have experience working with issues like mine?
2. Is it important that the provider share similar cultural identities to me, such as race, gender, or spirituality
3. Can the provider accommodate my mobility needs, such as having an elevator or first-floor access with no-step entry?
4. Does the provider speak the language(s) I feel most comfortable speaking when I express my emotions?
5. Is the provider available when I am?

Ultimately, the provider who is right for you is someone who feels trustworthy and who is well-equipped to help you meet your goals. Just like with any relationship, some providers are a good fit for some clients, and some aren't.

One way to assess fit is to see how you feel during your first contact with the provider.  Many providers require an initial consultation call before you can schedule an appointment with them. This way you can see if they are a good fit before you start working together. It’s a good idea to be prepared with a list of questions you want to ask so that you can make an informed decision.

Many providers check in with their clients to see how therapy is going so that you can adjust accordingly. If they don’t ask, we encourage you to give your provider feedback about what’s working and not working along the way. 

FAQ’s

How do I know if I need to see someone for my mental health?

Every person struggles with their mental health at some point in their lives. Using coping strategies that you’ve developed over time or talking with people you trust can often help you get over the hurdles you face in life. At times these just may not feel like enough.

Many people seek out the help of a professional when their ability to cope has been overwhelmed or they want a fresh perspective. If you are spending a lot of time dealing with an issue or it’s significantly interfering with some part of your life, it may be time to seek out help.

Who should I contact if I'm looking for talk therapy?

Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is a collaboration between you and a mental health provider based in dialogue. There are many approaches to psychotherapy and many types of providers that can help you learn the skills you need to overcome your challenges. Mental health providers that are trained to provide psychotherapy include marriage and family therapists, counselors, psychologists, clinical social workers and psychiatrists.

Who can prescribe medications?

Providers who are licensed to prescribe medicine often include psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses (a specific type of NP), clinical nurse specialists, primary care physicians, and physician assistants. Depending on which state you live in, different providers may be allowed to prescribe.

These providers may also offer talk therapy if they have received additional training. Talk therapy can help you alongside medicine.

I’m under the age of 18, do I need parental consent to receive therapy?

You may or may not need to seek consent depending on your state’s laws. Here’s a review of state laws regarding parental consent for mental health treatment:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393016/

How long will I be in treatment?

Every person has different needs when it comes to their mental health, so the length of treatment is different for everyone. Ultimately, how long you stay in treatment is up to you. Factors that may impact your length of treatment include the severity of your concerns, how long it takes for you to feel comfortable and to open up with your provider, how frequently you meet, and other life events are going on outside of treatment.

Having a conversation about how long treatment may take is a good one to have with your provider. The goal is always to feel better so you can “graduate” from care. Once you are finished, you can always return for a “tune-up” when needed.

How does confidentiality work?

Confidentiality between a mental health provider and a client means that whatever you tell your provider stays between you and your provider. Even the fact that you are meeting with a provider is confidential. If you want anyone to be able to communicate with your provider about your treatment or for your provider to share your records, you will need to sign a release of information first. Your provider will have this document and can help you fill it out.

There are very few exceptions for when a provider is legally obligated to break confidentiality. Providers are obligated to share these at the outset of treatment. They vary by state, but most commonly include:

• Imminent danger to self or others: If a provider believes that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself or someone else, they will contact the police or other authorities to ensure that you and others are safe.
• Abuse of a child or vulnerable adult: If a provider believes that a child or an adult who is unable to care for themselves is being abused, they will call your local child and family protective agencies.
• Records are court-ordered: If your records are court-ordered, your provider will do what they can to continue to protect your confidentiality, and often negotiate with the court to only release certain information. In some cases, they may not have a choice except to release your entire record or to testify. These cases are rare, and you will typically know before you seek treatment if a court order may be issued (e.g., a child custody case).

How do I know if I should change providers?

Making a great connection with a provider is exciting. We trust their approach, feel safe opening up to them, and make progress toward our goals. Not all providers and clients are a good fit, though. If you are not feeling a connection with your provider and it’s getting in the way of you meeting your goals, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do I feel supported? A good provider will challenge you, yet will do so with compassion and understanding.
• Does my provider listen to me and understand what I say?
• Is my provider reliable?
• Does my provider push their own values on me?
• Am I making progress toward my goals?
• Does my therapist just tell me what to do rather than teaching me the skills to find my own solutions?
• Does my provider have the expertise to treat my issues?
• Is my provider crossing any boundaries that make me feel uncomfortable?

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but you should feel a change after a few months, not years. If your provider is saying it will take a few years, then you should be able to discuss this openly with your provider and come up with a better solution. If not, you should consider seeing a different provider.

What if I want a provider with specific identities?

Sometimes, meeting with a provider with specific identities can make us feel more comfortable. For example, you might find a female-id

entified provider easier to talk to because you are used to talking with your mom about your problems. You may also feel more comfortable speaking to someone who shares your religious background because your spiritual values are very important to you. Other times, your decision to meet with a particular type of provider may be based on a need to feel safe and comfortable after an experience of gendered trauma, such as wanting to meet with a male provider after being sexually abused by a woman. You may also prefer to meet with a provider who speaks your primary language because it is easier to process emotions without translating them at the same time. Based on your own identities, you may have encountered discrimination, stereotyping, or identity-related trauma (e.g., racism, transphobia, homophobia). These lived experiences can have serious, negative consequences on your mental health. Meeting with someone who shares your identity may help you feel more secure that you can avoid explaining how you have been impacted.