Professional Titles & Letters After Names

Titles and licenses differ from state to state. For more, see Who Does What.

Prescribers (can diagnose and prescribe)

MD (Doctor of Medicine) and DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine)

Medical doctors. A psychiatrist is an MD or DO with extra training in psychiatry.

PMHNP (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)

A nurse practitioner trained in mental health. PMHNP-BC means board certified.

APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) / ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner)

General titles for nurses with advanced degrees. ARNP is the title used in Washington State.

NP (Nurse Practitioner)

A nurse with an advanced degree who can diagnose and prescribe.

PA or PA-C (Physician Assistant, Certified)

Diagnoses and prescribes under a doctor’s supervision.

Therapists (can diagnose and give therapy, but not prescribe)

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) / PsyD (Doctor of Psychology)

Doctoral degrees held by psychologists.

LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)

A master’s-level counselor licensed by the state. Some states use LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) or LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor) instead.

LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)

The same kind of license in states such as Washington, New York, and Florida.

LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) / LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)

Social workers licensed to provide therapy. LICSW is used in Washington and some other states.

LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)

Licensed to provide therapy, often with couples and families as well as individuals.

MSW (Master of Social Work), MA, MS

Degrees, not licenses. A degree alone doesn’t mean someone is licensed.

Other titles

Associate titles (for example LPC-A or AMFT)

Someone who has finished their degree but is still working toward a full license under supervision.

CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor)

A state certification for substance use counseling.

CPS / CPSS (Certified Peer Specialist / Certified Peer Support Specialist)

Trained to offer support from lived experience. Not a therapist.

Life coach

Not a licensed title. Anyone can use it.

Certificates from training groups

Show completed training. They are not licenses.

Sources for this section: NAMI, “Types of Mental Health Professionals.” University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, “Types of Mental Health Providers.” American Psychiatric Nurses Association, “Frequently Asked Questions.” Texas Health and Human Services, “About Peer Support Services.” University at Buffalo School of Social Work, “Certificate vs. Certification.”