Below is a brief description of the various qualifications and fields of practice associated with personal counseling and consulting.
Social Workers
A licensed social worker is a mental health professional who provides services to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, or communities.
Master’s social work services, which may be provided by an LMSW, LMSW-AP, or LCSW, include the application of specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills in the areas of assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation, case management, information and referral, supervision, consultation, education, research, advocacy, community organization and the development, implementation, and administration of policies, programs and activities.
Clinical social work services, which may only be provided by an LCSW or an LMSW in an agency setting, include the application of specialized clinical knowledge and advanced clinical skills in the areas of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions, including severe mental illness in adults and serious emotional disturbances in children.
For more information about social workers, visit the website of the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners at www.dshs.state.tx.us/socialwork or call (512) 719-3521 or (800) 232-3162.
Professional Counselors
A licensed professional counselor (LPC) is a mental health professional who provides professional therapeutic services to individuals and groups that involve the application of mental health, psychotherapeutic, and human development principles to facilitate adjustment and development throughout life. Services may include individual counseling, group counseling, marriage counseling, family counseling, chemical dependency counseling, rehabilitation counseling, education counseling, career development counseling, sexual issues counseling, psychotherapy, play therapy, diagnostic assessment, hypnotherapy, expressive therapies, biofeedback, and related services.
A licensed professional counselor holds at least a master’s degree in counseling or a counseling-related field, and also must has complete 3,000 hours of supervised experience in the field of professional counseling.
For more information about professional counselors, visit the website of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors at www.dshs.state.tx.us/counselor or call (512) 834-6658.
Psychiatrists
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD). For information concerning medical doctors, please refer to the website of the Texas Medical Board at www.tmb.state.tx.us or call (800) 248-4062.
Psychologists
For information concerning licensed psychologists in Texas, please refer to the website of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists at www.tsbep.state.tx.us or call (512) 305-7700.