Not sure which type of mental health provider may be right for you? Here's what the degrees and certifications refer to.
When working with mental health providers, you may notice a lot of degrees, licenses, certifications, registrations or other designations — and wind up befuddled by this "alphabet soup." You may wonder if the more initials providers have after their name, the more qualified they are to treat you.
Although higher degrees and certifications generally indicate that a mental health provider has pursued advanced training and education, there isn't necessarily a direct correlation to the quality of your care. You may be just as happy with someone who has a master's degree as with someone who has a doctoral degree and is board-certified by several organizations.
In any case, understanding what all of those letters mean can help you sort out your choices for a mental health provider. Here are some you may come across.
| Mental health provider degrees and certifications |
| Degree | Meaning |
| A.P.R.N. | Advanced practice registered nurse |
| C.A.D.C. | Certified alcohol and drug counselor |
| C.E.A.P. | Certified employee assistance professional |
| C.N.S. | Clinical nurse specialist |
| D.Div. | Doctor of divinity |
| D.O. | Doctor of osteopathy |
| D.S.W. | Doctor of social work |
| Ed.D. | Doctor of education |
| Ed.S. | Education specialist |
| L.C.S.W. | Licensed clinical social worker |
| L.I.C.S.W. | Licensed independent clinical social worker |
| L.M.F.T. | Licensed marriage and family therapist |
| L.M.H.C. | Licensed mental health counselor |
| L.P. | Licensed psychologist |
| L.P.C. | Licensed professional counselor |
| M.A. | Master of arts |
| M.D. | Doctor of medicine |
| M.Ed. | Master of education |
| M.F.C.C. | Marriage, family and child counselor |
| M.F.T. | Marriage and family therapist |
| M.P.S. | Master of pastoral studies |
| M.S. | Master of science |
| M.S.W. | Master of social work |
| P.M.H.N. | Psychiatric-mental health nursing |
| Ph.D. | Doctor of philosophy |
| Psy.D. | Doctor of psychology |
Last Updated: 03/21/2005
• For Employees 
Site Designed by Carbon 42