Who’s Who in Mental Healthcare: The Different Clinical Degrees of Mental Healthcare Professionals

It can be unbelievably frustrating to try to figure out which mental healthcare professionals make sense for your own (or a loved one’s) needs.

What do all the different degrees mean? How are they different?

Here are some brief explanations to help untangle who’s who in mental healthcare:

Psychiatrist, MD or DO:

A psychiatrist is a physician who went to medical school and completed a residency in psychiatry and who is trained in brain disorders that impact emotional and psychological functioning. 

Psychiatrists will have completed anywhere from 8-10 years of supervised education and clinical training.  Psychiatrists tend to have the most education and clinical training out of all the mental health degrees, but this does not mean that they are the best clinician or resource for you.

Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and some psychiatrists also provide therapy for patients.

*Not all psychiatrists are board certified, so make sure you find out if the psychiatrist you are seeing is board certified.

Clinical Psychologist, PhD:

A clinical psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology and will have completed 5-7 years of graduate education.  Some clinical psychologists have specific areas of study, such as bipolar disorder or depression, which they have researched extensively during graduate school. Clinical psychologists may be able to provide specific therapies and/or testing and evaluation.

There are three states that allow clinical psychologists to prescribe some medication: New Mexico, Louisiana, and Illinois.  Otherwise, clinical psychologists are not able to prescribe medication as part of their treatment.

While a clinical psychologist may refer to themselves as “doctor”, they are not a medical doctor or physician. 

PsyD (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology):

This degree can be confusing to differentiate from a clinical psychologist with a PhD. A PsyD has studied clinical applications of psychology, meaning their coursework has largely consisted of standards of practice and evidence-based therapies and treatment interventions.  A PsyD usually takes 4-5 years to complete.  A PhD, on the other hand, is much more research-intensive and academic.

A person who holds a PsyD may call themselves “doctor”, but again, they are not a medical doctor or physician and they cannot prescribe medication as part of their treatment.

Doctor of Nursing Practice in Mental Health (DNP):

This is a nursing degree and it can be very confusing if a person with this degree calls themselves “doctor.”  They did not go to medical school and they are not a physician.

A DNP holds a doctoral-level degree in nursing with special training in mental health, which is a very different educational and clinical training path from medicine/psychiatry.

DNPs provide mental health evaluations and treatment planning, and they can prescribe medication as part of their treatment.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP):

This is a master’s level degree in nursing with special focus in mental health. PMHNP’s can conduct psychiatric assessments and provide treatment, including medication.

This degree has the least amount of educational hours and supervised clinical hours during training. 

A PMHNP may be a very good clinician for you, but it is important to know that they have the least amount of training in the field when it comes to medication.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW):

A clinical social worker is licensed to provide clinical care to patients.  This is a master’s level graduate degree where the clinician is able to provide psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis and treatment intervention with different forms of therapy and psychosocial resources.

A clinical social worker cannot prescribe medication, but they may be an excellent therapist for your needs.

Who’s right for you?

If you or a loved one has a serious mental illness or complicated medical history, a psychiatrist would be ideal.

If you have been seeing a nurse practitioner for some time without improvement, you may also want to seek out a psychiatrist for a second opinion for evaluation and treatment.

If you have questions about your emotional experiences and would like to discuss these with a professional, you may want to begin with a therapist (a clinical psychology PhD or PsyD or a clinical social worker).  These clinicians can provide different types of therapies and they can help determine what type of treatment plan makes the most sense for you.

You can also ask your primary care doctor about access to mental healthcare clinicians and who might make the most sense for you to see.

It is HARD to navigate the mental healthcare field and find who and what you need.  Persistence is essential. Having a trusting, safe relationship with your physician or clinician is one of the top priorities, no matter which degree they hold.  An excellent clinician would be excellent no matter which of the above degrees they hold, but the search can be exhausting.  Education and training can make a difference, but it is not the be-all and end-all.