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A:
Mental health services are provided by several different professions, each
of which has its own training and areas of expertise. Finding the right
professional(s) for you or a loved one can be a critical ingredient in the
process of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery when faced with serious
mental illness.
Types
of Mental Health Professionals:
Who
are professional counselors?
Licensed
professional counselors provide quality mental health and substance abuse
care to millions of Americans. Professional counselors have a master's or
doctoral degree in counseling or a related field that included an
internship and coursework in human behavior and development, effective
counseling strategies, ethical practice, and other core knowledge areas.
State
licensure in Texas requires a master's or doctoral degree, two to three
years of supervised clinical experience, and the passage of an
examination.
Professional
counselors adhere to a code of ethics that protects the confidentiality of
the counseling relationship; prohibits discrimination and requires
understanding of and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds; and
mandates that professional counselors put the needs and welfare of clients
before all others in their practice.
The full-time staff members of the CCCCD Counseling Services Department
are all Licensed Professional Counselors.
Who
are Marriage and Family Therapists?
Marriage
and Family Therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals trained in
psychotherapy and family systems, and licensed to diagnose and treat
mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and
family systems.
MFTs
have graduate training (a Master's or Doctoral degree) in marriage and
family therapy and at least two years of clinical experience. Marriage
and family therapy is recognized as a "core" mental
health profession, along with psychiatry, psychology, social work
and psychiatric
nursing.
Who
are Psychiatrists?
A
psychiatrist is a physician with a doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree or
doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) degree, with at least four more years of
specialized study and training in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are licensed
as physicians to practice medicine by individual states. "Board
certified" psychiatrists have passed the national examination
administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Psychiatrists provide medical and psychiatric evaluations, treat
psychiatric disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe and monitor
medications.
Who
are Psychologists?
Some
psychologists have a master's degree (M.A. or M.S.) in psychology while
others have a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) in clinical,
educational, counseling, or research psychology. Most states license
psychologists to practice psychology. They can provide psychological
testing, evaluations, treat emotional and behavioral problems and mental
disorders, and provide psychotherapy.
Who
are Social Workers?
Social
workers have either a bachelor's degree (B.A., B.S., or B.S.W.), a
master's degree (M.A., M.S., M.S.W., or M.S.S.W), or doctoral degree (D.S.W.
or Ph.D.). In most states, social workers take an examination to be
licensed to practice social work, and the type of license depends on their
level of education and practice experience. Social workers provide various
services including assessment and treatment of psychiatric illnesses, case
management, hospital discharge planning, and psychotherapy.
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