Cannot Tell Them Apart
I went to see someone for anxiety and my friend said I should go to a psychologist instead. But when I asked my friend what the difference is she just shrugged and said they are all the same. My therapist told me she is not a psychologist though. I am completely lost with these titles. Can you point me to something explaining the difference between counselor/therapist/psychologist, professional titles, education levels, scope of practice, licensure requirements? I want to know who I am actually seeing and what qualifications they have.
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You're definitely not the only one confused by those titles. A coworker of mine thought counselor, therapist, and psychologist all meant exactly the same thing until she started looking for help herself. She was surprised to learn that the education requirements, licensure, and scope of practice can be quite different depending on the role. While researching, she found how to become a mental health counselor helpful because it explains the various professional titles and the training paths behind them. It cleared up a lot of misconceptions and made choosing a provider much less confusing.