Social Workers: "Social work practice consists of the professional application of social work values, principles, and techniques to one or more of the following ends: helping people obtain tangible services; counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups; helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services; and participating in legislative processes. The practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social and economic, and cultural institutions; and of the interaction of all these factors (Source: http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/default.asp)." I view social workers as colleagues of licensed professional counselors with similar training. One main difference between the two is that social workers are often case managers and can connect individuals to various resources throughout a network.
Licensed Professional Counselors: "Provide mental health and substance abuse care to millions of Americans. LPCs are master's-degreed mental health service providers, trained to work with individuals, families, and groups in treating mental, behavioral, and emotional problems and disorders. LPCs make up a large percentage of the workforce employed in community mental health centers, agencies, and organizations, and are employed within and covered by managed care organizations and health plans. LPCs also work with active duty military personnel and their families, as well as veterans (Source: http://www.counseling.org/publicpolicy/whoarelpcs.pdf)." When one thinks of traditional counseling or talk therapy, they are typically thinking of an LPC.
Psychologists: Psychologists work in a wide-range of settings that include: Universities, Medical Schools, Government Agencies, Educational / Schools, Independent Practice, Hospital / Health Services, and Business / Non-for-Profit. Psychologists may have varied interests in research, the study of social development, teaching and providing services to students, promotion of physical and mental health, support community and individual well-being, and study work and performance issues (Source: http://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers.aspx?item=4). Psychologists are important as well because they can perform psychological testing and evaluations.
Psychiatrists: "A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological disturbance. A psychiatrist has completed medical school (is an M.D. or D.O.) and an additional four or more years of residency training in psychiatry. Psychiatrists use a variety of treatments, including psychotherapy, medication, and other treatments (Source: http://www.psychiatry.org/about-apa--psychiatry/more-about-psychiatry)."
Overall, all 4 professions are qualified for talk therapy, yet sometimes there is difficulty to schedule appointments with psychologists and psychiatrists do to the shortage of these professions in our areas. Sometimes clients want to just see a Psychiatrist to get prescribed medication as a quick fix for their emotional issues. There are many wonderful medications out there, but research shows that the combination of medication and talk therapy creates the best patient outcomes. Social Workers and LPCs can offer talk therapy usually at a reduced rate compared to psychiatrists. My best recommendation for those seeking help it to see a combination of these services for the best possible outcome. These professions are supposed to compliment one another, not compete for clients!
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