Types of Therapists in Washington State
What Types of Therapists Are Available in Washington State?
There are many types of therapists available.
They all have different educational requirements, length of training, and licensure requirements.
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW), Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFT) & Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
Commonly referred to as counselors or therapists, all have a master’s degree and are trained to diagnose mental health conditions.
They complete practicums, internships, pass a board exam, and post-graduate experience under supervision by a licensed supervisor to gain independent licensure.
They adhere to the respective profession’s code of ethics. This includes:
They provide various types of talk therapy and they do not prescribe medication.
Licensed Psychologists (LP)
A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology (PhD or PsyD). In a few states psychologists may have a master’s degree.
They complete practicums, internships, pass a board exam, and a post-doctoral fellowship or experience under supervision by a licensed supervisor to gain independent licensure.
Psychologists are trained to diagnose mental health conditions.
They provide talk therapy and can administer specialized testing to tell more about the way a person thinks, feels, and behaves such as ADHD assessments, Autism assessments, personality functioning assessments, and more.
In a few states, psychologists can prescribe medication.
They adhere to the respective profession’s code of ethics which is the APA Code of Ethics.
Psychiatrists (MD or DO)
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health.
They complete medical school, pass USMLE Steps I, II, and III, pass a speciality board exam, and complete a residency post graduation.
Psychiatrists prescribe medication, may provide specialized brain stimulation treatments, and may provide talk therapy.
They adhere to the respective profession’s code of ethics which is the AMA Code of Ethics and APA Code of Ethics.
Nurse Practitioners (NP)
A psychiatric nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with a graduate degree and specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health.
They complete practicums, internships, and pass a board exam to gain independent licensure.
Psychiatric nurse practitioners provide talk therapy and may prescribe medication based on state regulations.
They adhere to the respective profession’s code of ethics which is the AANP Code of Ethics.
What Types of Therapists Are Available Outside of Washington State?
LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist)
Currently, New York is the only state with a license (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist).
Please see Licensing in Canada and Licensing in the US for information specific to your location.
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
The National Certified Counselor is the premier certification for the counseling profession.
NCCs have voluntarily met high national standards for the practice of counseling.
They are competent in skills such as human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, helping relationships, group counseling, career counseling, assessment, research and program evaluation, and professional counseling.
2 year Master's degree with a major study in counseling from a regionally accredited or CACREP-accredited counseling program, including at least 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours of graduate-level academic credit in counseling.
Documentation of 100 hours of counseling supervision and 3,000 hours of counseling work experience. This requirement is waived in certain circumstances: for graduates of CACREP-accredited counseling programs; for fully state-licensed professional counselors; for those who have had a degree conferred from a regionally accredited doctoral program in counseling.
Applicant was required to earn passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Both are proctored exams on counseling competencies complete with identity verification at an NBCC-approved testing site.
Ethics - Must adhere to the standards identified in the NBCC Code of Ethics.
Recertification - NCCs recertify every five years and are required to earn a specific number of continuing education clock hours.