A Therapists’ Who’s Who
Alcohol/Drug Abuse Counselor – often has a degree
in either social work, psychology, or psychiatry and works in a
variety of settings, including drug treatment centers and family
Employee Assistance Professional – mental health
professionals provided by employers to offer confidential services
to employees and, often, to their families. These counselors can be
occupational physicians, nurses, psychologists, professional
counselors, social workers, and/or trained union members. They
provide assessment, brief counseling, and when appropriate, referral
to community resources. Some are Certified Employee Assistance
Marriage Counselor or Family Therapist – has a
degree in social work, psychology, or psychiatry with post-graduate
study and training in marital and/or family problems.
Pastoral Counselor – a minister, priest, or rabbi
who has a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Divinity (religion) and
additional training in psychology or counseling. They can identify
mental health problems and make appropriate referrals. Certified
Pastoral Counselors have an advanced degree (masters or doctorate)
in mental health and may provide counseling.
Professional Counselor – has earned masters or
doctoral degree in counseling.
Psychiatric Nurse - Mental Health –
holds a degree in nursing, either as a Registered Nurse (R.N.), a
Bachelor’s in Nursing (B.S.N.), or a Master’s in Nursing (M.S.N.).
and has specialized training in the care and
treatment of psychiatric patients.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (A.P.R.N's)
- can diagnose and treat persons. This includes writing
prescriptions as allowed by the state they practice in.
Examples of A.P.R.N's are Clinical Nurse Specialists (C.N.S) and
Nurse Practitioners (N.P.)
Psychiatrist – a medical doctor (M.D.) or doctor of
osteopathy (D.O.) who has had a three or four year residency in a
psychiatric facility and is board certified in psychiatry. A
prescribe medication and/or medical treatments.
Psychoanalyst – a psychiatrist, clinical
psychologist, or social worker who has had specialized training in
psychoanalysis and has gone through psychoanalysis.
Psychologist – received either a doctorate degree
in psychology, education, or counseling (i.e., Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D).
This professional must also complete at least a one-year internship
in a psychiatric hospital or mental health center and have specific
training to do psychotherapy.
Social Worker – has earned a Bachelor’s Degree
(B.S.), Master’s Degree (M.S.W.) or Doctoral Degree (D.S.W.) in
social work. Graduate training involves coursework dealing with
individual, group and family assessment and psychotherapy.