GUÍA DE SALUD MENTAL DE BERKELEY
Types of Therapy and Providers
Psychiatrist
- MD or DO degree.
As medical doctors who studied psychology and physiology, they can diagnose and prescribe medications. Some do therapy.
Social Worker / Counselor / Therapist
Trained to practice therapy. Therapists have clinical experience and can also serve as social workers. However, social workers don’t have clinical experience or a therapist license and therefore cannot work as therapists.
Peer counselor - No degrees, trained to provide counseling. Cannot diagnose or prescribe.
Specializations/degrees:
-
LSW: Licensed Social Worker
-
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
-
DSW: Doctorate in Social Work
-
MFCC: Mariage, Family, and Child Counseling
-
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family therapist
-
MFT: Marriage and Family therapist
Psychologist
- PsyD or PhD degree.
No medical degree and therefore can diagnose but cannot prescribe medication. Many do therapy and treatment.
Therapy
1
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
A form of psychological treatment that is especially effective for substance abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and other severe mental illnesses. Treatment usually involves efforts to change thinking patterns, increase awareness of thought patterns and behaviors, and establish coping mechanisms. Goal-oriented, typically lasts a few months to a year, ‘symptom-focused’.
3
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Treatment Based on CBT, DBT focuses on regulating and controlling emotions. Particularly effective at treating issues regarding unhealthy and problematic handling of negative emotions such as suicidal ideation, self harm, substance use, & mood disorders. Focuses more on skills-training and emotion regulation