Find care & support · The Holistic Counselor Podcast learning guide
From the Mic to the Community
Who does what in mental health?
Understand therapists, medical providers, coaches, and their training.
Diana S. Rice · Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP), Qualified Supervisor (QS)
4 pages · No email required · Education, not individual care
The letters after a name can feel like another language. They tell you something about training, but they are only the start of deciding who can help.
Medical and psychological care
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor trained in mental health. They can prescribe medicine. A psychologist usually has a doctoral degree and may offer testing, assessment, and therapy. In some places, specially trained psychologists can prescribe. Psychiatric nurse practitioners may also assess, treat, and prescribe under local rules.
Counseling and relationship care
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), and LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) are therapy license titles. Each can offer therapy within their training and legal scope. Titles and rules vary by location. Ask what the person can help you with.
Other kinds of support
Coaches often help with goals and habits. The title coach does not mean someone has a mental health license. Pastors and peer supporters offer other kinds of help. An intern or associate may provide therapy with a supervisor. Ask who guides and is responsible for their work.
Research & perspective
What to keep in mind
National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Psychiatric Association describe the roles above. A degree, certification, license, and specialty training are different things. Verify current credentials with the relevant licensing board.
Explore the sources ↓A moment for you
Let’s pause and reflect.
Choose one question, or take your time with all three. Your answers can stay private. Skip anything that feels like too much; you do not need to revisit painful details to use this guide.
- Do I need therapy, a medication discussion, testing, practical support, or help deciding?
- What do I want to understand about a provider’s training?
- Would coordinated care be useful?
Use your own notebook or the writing space in the PDF. This page does not ask you to submit reflections.
Continue the conversation
Listen with curiosity.
Selected conversations to begin with. Guests share their own perspectives; a linked episode is not a treatment recommendation or a complete review of the evidence.
- Episode 69
Make room for support
Questions to bring to a professional
- What is your license type and number?
- What services are you qualified to provide?
- Are you supervised, and how does that work?
One next step
Ask for the full professional title, license, and relevant experience. Florida readers can use the state verification link; elsewhere, use the local licensing authority.
Keep learning
Sources & useful resources
These links support the teaching and help you explore further. Professional organizations describe their own approaches; faith organizations describe their perspectives. Directories are starting points, not endorsements.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Types of mental health professionals ↗
- American Psychiatric Association: What is psychiatry? ↗
- Florida Department of Health: Verify a license ↗
Services, fees, rules, and links may change. Confirm current details directly.
When a guide is not enough
Need support right now?
In the U.S. and its territories, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers support for emotional distress or a suicidal crisis.
If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency in the U.S., call 911. Outside the U.S., use your local emergency or crisis service.
This website and its contact form do not provide crisis care.