LMHC Vs. LISW

[deleted830324]

I am currently in college and will be transferring in 2020 to a four year university and majoring in Psychology or History ( I really like History). I thought about being a Psychiatrist or a Psych PA or NP. I've realized that they do not focus and really don't do therapy and just prescribe and manage medication. I have more of an interest in the therapy piece of things especially since i've gone through it in the past myself. I also have thought about becoming a Clinical Psychologist but that requires a Ph.D., which is adds several more years of school. I would really like to do Psychotherapy and just see clients and be able to do assessments and just see clients on a weekly or monthly basis. I've been told that getting a Master's in counseling and becoming an LMHC is the way to go! However, I was also told by a MSW program professor that the preferred license is that of an LISW to practice Psychotherapy. I believe that the professor probably was being biased.

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[Temperance]

I am currently in college and will be transferring in 2020 to a four year university and majoring in Psychology or History ( I really like History). I thought about being a Psychiatrist or a Psych PA or NP. I've realized that they do not focus and really don't do therapy and just prescribe and manage medication. I have more of an interest in the therapy piece of things especially since i've gone through it in the past myself. I also have thought about becoming a Clinical Psychologist but that requires a Ph.D., which is adds several more years of school. I would really like to do Psychotherapy and just see clients and be able to do assessments and just see clients on a weekly or monthly basis. I've been told that getting a Master's in counseling and becoming an LMHC is the way to go! However, I was also told by a MSW program professor that the preferred license is that of an LISW to practice Psychotherapy. I believe that the professor probably was being biased.

What's the question?

 

[aftermidnight]

I am currently in college and will be transferring in 2020 to a four year university and majoring in Psychology or History ( I really like History). I thought about being a Psychiatrist or a Psych PA or NP. I've realized that they do not focus and really don't do therapy and just prescribe and manage medication. I have more of an interest in the therapy piece of things especially since i've gone through it in the past myself. I also have thought about becoming a Clinical Psychologist but that requires a Ph.D., which is adds several more years of school. I would really like to do Psychotherapy and just see clients and be able to do assessments and just see clients on a weekly or monthly basis. I've been told that getting a Master's in counseling and becoming an LMHC is the way to go! However, I was also told by a MSW program professor that the preferred license is that of an LISW to practice Psychotherapy. I believe that the professor probably was being biased.

You can accomplish your goals as either an LMHC/LPC or LISW/LCSW. You will hear some, but not all, agree with your social work professor. Based on my understanding, the idea that the LISW is the way to go comes from the fact that the license has been around longer and you've had other non-counseling professions advocating for their own profession to be favored. Being newer, it's taken the mental health counseling folks longer to build a voice for advocacy and to gain parity in some regions/settings. As a result, for a long while large organizations like the Veteran Affair's administration and Medicare would not pay for services provided by an LPC or LMHC. Things like that are starting to change. So much so that a common answer you will hear these days is that the preferred license really depends on what state or region you are in. It might be better to base your choice based on the strength of specific program, funding, and other factors beyond whether the program in LMHC or LISW.

 

[MedSchoolHopeful777]

Hi, Im having difficulty creating a thread. How would I go about this?