How to Select a Therapist Selecting a therapist can feel overwhelming, especially if you have never experienced therapy before or have not had a specific clinician recommended to you by someone you know and trust.  Choosing a therapist does not need to be intimidating, but it is helpful for you to understand the different types of service each kind of clinician provides.  It is also important to keep in mind that anyone can hand out a business card and call themselves a "therapist" or "counselor."   Even a licensed individual can label themselves an "expert" in an area in which they are not necessarily trained.  But there are qualifications, specific levels of education, board certifications and state and federal licenses to help assure you that you are receiving the service that you have requested.     All of the clinicians at Evansville Psychiatric Associates are appropriately educated, board certified and licensed in their particular fields.  Our intake department will be happy to speak with you about any of our clinician's qualifications.  Your call is confidential.  If you are unsure of what you need, or you feel you need more than one type of mental health service, one of our clinicians can assess those issues and refer you to the practitioner(s) who can most appropriately help you.  After the therapist's name there are initials. What do these initials and titles mean? A Psychiatrist is an "MD,"  Doctor of Medicine,  who has undergone the same basic rigorous education as your family physician, internist and other doctors you know.  In most cases medical school requirements are 4 years additional schooling after college and an internship requiring an additional year hands-on training rotating through all of the major medical specialties.  After a physician's intern year, they choose and are selected for a residency training in a specialty field, which requires 2 to 6 years of additional hands-on and classroom training.  Instead of a residency in internal medicine, obstetrics or surgery, etc., your psychiatrist has had extensive training in psychiatry - the branch of medicine that deals with the science and art of understanding human  emotions, behavior and thinking.  They are trained in diagnosing mental, behavioral and emotional disorders and treating these conditions with special consideration to the mind-body interaction.  An MD holds a State Medical License and has a Federal DEA license enabling them to practice medicine and to prescribe a full range of medications.  After each type of residency or fellowship training, (with its inherent years of education,) a physician is eligible  to take a detailed examination given by an organization of senior specialists in that field, often verbal and written,  proving their competency in that particular field or sub-specialty.  If someone is "board eligible" it means they have completed their residency training, but have not taken, passed or "sat" for their board certification.  The preeminent organization for national board certification of MD Psychiatrists is The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.   Indiana Psychiatrists are regulated by Indiana Code IC 11-10-3. A Psychologist  may have the initials "PhD" or "PsyD" after their name.  PhD stands for "Doctorate of Philosophy" in a particular field - in this case, Psychology.  PsyD means "Doctor of Psychology.  Both identifiers refer to the requirement of 4 or more additional years of post-college training in the science and art of Psychology.  These clinicians are also addressed as "Doctor."  They may hold undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and their post-graduate training may be in a wide variety of areas - from animal studies to group dynamics.  Most psychologists who work in private practice are clinical psychologists who have special training in human emotions and thought processses.  An "HSPP" designator is awarded by The Indiana State Board of Psychology and stands for "Health Services Provider in Psychology."  This designator requires appropriate education, hours of supervised clinical experience, continuing education and the passing of a strict examination.  The Indiana regulatory codes are IC 25-33 and IC 25-1-9.   Psychologists often specialize in individual therapy for certain types of clients, or family and group therapies.  Clinical Psychologists are also experts at Psychological Testing.  In the hands of an experienced practitioner, this kind of testing is invaluable to diagnosing and treating the fine details of an individual patient's condition.  These are not the kind of tests that you can study for, nor can you "cheat" or fool the test-giver.  Psychologists do not prescribe medications or order medical tests, but they often work with a psychiatrist who finds their professional opinions invaluable. In private practice, LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  These therapists are master's level social workers, which means they have completed 4 years of undergraduate work plus at least 2 years of master's level training (MSW.)  To receive the LCSW designator they must complete an additional 2 years of supervised clinical work.  They may also elect for an education track that trains them in specific age groups or diagnostic categories.  For example, an LCSW may elect for special training in children, adolescents, marriage counseling, geriatrics, addiction or general adult counseling.  The award of ACSW stands for membersip in the "Academy of Clinical Social Workers."   This designator is awarded by the National Association of Social Workers and requires lengthy supervised post graduate work and the passing of tests that support ethical and competent independent practice standards.  LMFT stands for "Licensed Marital and Family Therapist."  The LMFT has special training in relationships and has a state license supported by educational background, continuing education, and written and oral examinations.  The State regulatory codes are IC 25-23, 6-8.