Understanding mental health specialties

There are many types of mental health professions. Backgrounds, methods of licensing and areas of certification vary from state to state. If you are seeking mental health services, keep in mind that a professional who works well for one person may not be a good choice for another. Read the descriptions below to learn more about specific mental health specialties.

Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications and commonly treats people who have severe mental illnesses or psychological disorders.

Psychologist
A psychologist is trained in the areas of human behavior, psychological health, personality, and how people think, feel and behave. Licensing laws in all 50 states allow only those with specific qualifications to call themselves psychologists. Qualifications vary, but the person must hold at least a master's degree, or in some states a doctorate degree, from an accredited graduate program. A certain amount of supervised experience is also required, and the person must pass a standard exam before practicing independently. Many psychologists choose to specialize in a particular area such as children and adolescents, research, counseling, or industrial and organizational psychology. Currently, some military psychologists and psychologists in the states of New Mexico and Louisiana can prescribe medications after completing a comprehensive training program. Several other states are introducing bills for the same privilege.

Social worker
A social worker works directly with individuals, families and communities, as well as in public policy, administration, research and advocacy. A social worker may have a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree in social work, but must have at least a master's degree to provide psychotherapy. State requirements on licensing, certification and registration vary. Specific credentials, such as Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (L.I.C.S.W.), generally require a certain amount of supervised experience, a degree in social work, and passing a standard exam.

Counselor
Generally speaking, a counselor is someone who advises people and offers guidance. Counselors may have backgrounds in social work, psychology or related fields. Some examples include licensed professional counselors, career counselors and chemical dependency counselors. Various qualifications, certifications and educational backgrounds are required depending on the title.

Certified employee assistance professional (C.E.A.P.)
A certified employee assistance professional provides assessment and short-term counseling to employees and their families on a variety of workplace and personal concerns. A C.E.A.P. also provides services to organizations as a consultant, account representative and trainer. Certification requires a certain amount of work in an employee assistance program setting under the supervision of a C.E.A.P., a set number of advisement and personal development hours, and passing a written exam. Certification is international, thus it does not vary from state to state. Fewer work and personal development hours are required if the person has a graduate degree in an employee assistance-related related discipline, such as psychology, social work or a related field.

Substance abuse professional (S.A.P.)
A substance abuse professional does chemical dependency assessments for employees who are required to comply with certain federal regulations on substance abuse. Under federal law by the U.S. Department of Transportation, substance abuse professionals must be licensed physicians; licensed or certified psychologists, social workers or employee assistance professionals; or counselors certified through the International Reciprocity Consortium or the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors Certification Commission. In addition, an S.A.P. must have experience in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of people who have disorders related to substance abuse.

Marriage and family therapist
A marriage and family therapist must have at least a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field and complete a set amount of supervised work. Marriage and family therapists work with individuals, couples and families on a variety of mental health issues. The focus is helping people within the context of family.