In other words, non-clinical counseling may be performed without a license requirement in some of those states. However, actual clinical training and experience may be a more important part of the licensing requirements for LMHCs.
The word clinical does a lot of heavy lifting in this category of license. There are many, many different kinds of social work and many individuals licensed to perform it. Licensed Clinical Social Workers, however, have not only the training and background to perform general social work tasks, but also the additional psychology and therapy education to offer psychotherapy for mental health and behavioral issues their clients might suffer from.
Depending on the state, you can find a state-equivalent to a counseling social work license going by any one of these names:. For social workers, counseling is only a part of the job.
In some social work roles, counseling might not even be a part of the work at all. An LCSW will have the legal authority and the training to engage in clinical counseling, but it may not be the primary focus of their job.
The hard lives of turn-of-the-century immigrants and factory workers gave rise to the modern profession of social work. Their goal is to cure the issue that is facing the client through whatever tools are available. If that can happen through direct counseling, they may take that role themselves. Or they might resolve the problem without directly involving the client at all, by addressing external factors including:.
LPC therapists, on the other hand, revolve around their counseling capabilities. Working with individuals and groups to correct specific issues within their own control is the counseling approach.
The LPC is also about problem-solving, but they are the specialists who are expected to use their clinical toolbox to get that job done. They may also refer clients out, but only when the problem is beyond their level of treatment capability, or if the problem cannot be resolved through therapy. An example would be a client who comes in with severe depression and anxiety issues. Through their evaluation, if the LPC finds that the root of those issues is a more complex mental health issue, like schizophrenia, they will probably refer the patient out to a psychologist with more expertise in that field.
Or if the depression and anxiety is coming from a life situation like homelessness, they might refer the patient to a social worker, who is better equipped to line up housing and basic services.
You can also understand some of these differences by looking at the histories of both professions. Trained social workers have existed in the United States since the late s. By , with the Great Depression bearing down, the role had become so widespread that the U.
Census Bureau started tracking it. Counselors, on the other hand, have a lineage that goes back just as far, but have not had a distinct role or license until relatively recently.
Mental health counseling came of age with the science of psychology, a profession that became broadly accepted in the mid to late s.
At the same time, as the Industrial Revolution was underway, the first counselors were coming into the picture to provide vocational guidance to displaced or injured workers. The Industrial Revolution created massive displacement in traditional communities that lead to both an expanded interest in social welfare and some of the earliest efforts at individual counseling.
Faced with a wave of returning soldiers who both had little or no skills or experience in regular jobs, and who were experiencing the kind of post-war mental issues we would now recognize as PTSD, counseling as we know it today began to shift into gear.
As the country was entering the Cold War with educational and industrial demands at the highest levels ever and a large population of veterans without the training necessary to fill those roles, the federal government decided to do something about both problems.
So in , the National Defense Education Act was born. Through Title V of the act, that included provisions for the training of counselors. Although guidance counselors for secondary schools were the intended recipients, the practical effect of the program was to offer a tremendous boost to counseling programs in general at universities nationwide.
If you understand the motives behind how and why these professions were created, you can better understand the differences between them. The licensing movement for social workers also came a little earlier. Most states adopted some sort of professional social work license by the end of the s. By the early s, the American Counseling Association had created the National Board for Certified Counselors to establish common national standards for professionals.
Even though LPC and LCSW often handle the same types of mental health issues, and may even treat the same individuals, their approaches to treatment can vary based on the perspectives that come from their history and professional training. The source of those different perspectives in the professional fields of counseling and clinical social work is baked into the educational requirements.
All have similar coursework and an emphasis on patient diagnosis and treatment. For both counseling and social work, there are dedicated accrediting bodies that set academic standard and evaluate programs to make sure those standards are met.
This kind of specialty accreditation is different from the general institution-level accreditation that schools are required to have to be eligible for federal student loan money. Specialty accreditors keep a finger on the pulse of a specific field and monitor degree programs to make sure they deliver that specific level and type of education.
Counseling Degree Accreditation — Many state licensing boards require specialty accreditation for degrees that they will accept for LPC credentials. D or Psy. Private therapists may have different credentials, but must be licensed to provide mental health treatment in New York State in order to be lawfully and ethically practicing providers.
My coursework and internship training focused on clinical diagnosis, treatment planning and the delivery of mental health care with individuals and groups.
As an LMHC, my understanding of other licensed professionals is mostly from working alongside my colleagues and friends with Ph. I can tell you that the experience and special knowledge of each of these professionals can depend on their own personal skill set, clinical experience and interests. A licensed professional counselor serves much the same function as licensed mental health counselors LMHC. They work with clients to resolve mental health and life issues and set goals.
They might work in schools, mental health facilities or private practice. Both LPCs and LMHCs professions adhere to specific ethics and confidentiality standards; in fact, the main difference can be that different states use different titles for counselors.
They also must pass a licensing exam. The U. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS keeps statistics on occupational outlooks, salaries and required levels of education. Both counselors and social workers can look forward to a robust job market, according to the BLS.
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