Explain Like I’m Five

Types of Professionals

Mental Health Provider – Someone who has gone through state-approved training and can provide expert mental health services to clients in need

Psychotherapist – a person who treats mental disorders by psychological means and conducts therapeutic sessions also commonly referred to as counseling (i.e LPC, LCSW, and Psychologist)

Licensed Professional Counselor – State-approved professional with a Masters degree who counsels and focuses on providing emotional and behavioral therapy support

Licensed Clinical Social Worker – State-approved professional with a Masters degree who counsels and works on a broader scope to help their clients find support within their social environments

Psychologist – A Doctorate level version of an LPC and LCSW who can provide counseling alongside IQ tests

Psychiatrist – Medical doctors that can Counsel, conduct numerous types of psychological tests and can prescribe medicine

Common Words/Phrases Used

Professional – Someone competent, reliable and respectful especially in their craft.

Human – A type of species, also called Homo sapiens, Latin term: “wise man”. Me, you, all, us, we. The human race. A form of living organisms who believe they are at the top of the intelligence and food chain.

Counseling – Helping and guiding someone to fix personal, social, or psychological difficulties

Therapy – The treatment of mental or psychological disorders or personal issues by psychological means

Diagnosis – An identification given to a client due to the nature of an illness or other problem. May only be given by a trained professional after examination of the client’s symptoms

Super Bill – A detailed form (receipt), used by providers which explain services provided to a client. Often used for insurance reimbursements.

Therapeutic Specialty – A type of therapy (counseling topic) that a provider is great at. They have a great mastery of the topic.

Psychological Theory – A scientific ideology used to treat mental illness. These are the different branches within the Psychology field. I.e behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, personality, etc.

Therapeutic approach/modality – a concentrated form of psychological theory that is used to help the clients. I.E Cognitive-behavioral (CBT), Psychoanalysis, Person-centered, solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), etc.

Self-regulation – The ability to be mentally and totally aware of one’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions and control them according to their long term goals. Also known as self-discipline