When people search for “mental health services,” they’re often facing a confusing menu of options. Therapist or psychiatrist? In person or online? Weekly sessions or something more intensive? Here’s a plain-language guide.
Types of mental health professionals
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a helpful overview of the different professionals who provide care. In short:
- Licensed counselors and therapists (such as Licensed Mental Health Counselors, LMHCs) hold master’s degrees and provide talk therapy for a wide range of concerns.
- Psychologists hold doctoral degrees and provide therapy and psychological testing.
- Psychiatrists are medical doctors who diagnose conditions and prescribe and manage medication.
- Psychiatric nurse practitioners can also prescribe and manage medication.
Many people work with both a therapist and a prescriber at the same time.
Levels of care
Services also differ in intensity:
- Outpatient therapy: usually weekly or every-other-week sessions. This is where most people start.
- Telehealth: the same therapy by secure video, which can make care easier to fit into a busy schedule.
- Intensive programs: several hours a day, several days a week, for people who need more support than weekly sessions can offer.
- Crisis services: immediate help through the 988 Lifeline or emergency services.
How to choose a starting point
If you’re not in crisis, outpatient therapy with a licensed counselor is a common and effective first step. A good therapist will tell you honestly if you’d benefit from a different level of care or a referral to a prescriber.
If you’d like to browse options, the federal FindTreatment.gov locator from SAMHSA lists state-licensed mental health and substance use treatment providers across the country.
What I offer
I provide individual and couples counseling, with a focus on anxiety, OCD (including ERP), depression, and life transitions. I see clients in person and by telehealth across four states.
Ready to talk?
I offer in-person sessions at my Tampa office and telehealth for clients in Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Washington. Start with a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Types of Mental Health Professionals
- SAMHSA: FindTreatment.gov
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Featured photo: “Forest Path Sunset” by a Pixabay contributor, Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
