Therapists, psychiatrists and mental health counselors are all mental health professionals with an expertise in studying behaviors and overall well-being as it relates to mental health illnesses. They are all committed to helping people stay mentally healthy.

There are also other health professionals that work in mental health including social workers, health counselors, nurse and nurse practitioners.

If you’ve had issues with mental health, you know that it can be debilitating both physically and mentally. Your body may be dealing with physical depression, anxiety or PTSD. Your doctor may be able to assess your symptoms and help decide what type of mental health professional will offer the best treatment for you.

However, without guidance from a doctor, it can be confusing, and you may not know where to start or who to see. So today I want to break down the differences between a few mental health professionals and explain how I can help you as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Southern Pine Counseling.

Your therapist in Sugar Land talks about the types of Mental health professionals

Therapist

A therapist is someone trained to provide treatment and rehabilitation and may include Psychologists (PhD), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC). Therapists have a masters or higher level degree in social work, clinical psychology, and family counseling or professional counseling. They use therapeutic models and modalities to help their clients overcome various mental health diagnoses.

There are many types of therapists as it relates to mental health including:

• Addiction therapists

• Art therapists

• Child therapists

• Marriage and family therapists

• Music therapists

• Psychotherapists

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental illnesses. They’ve completed four years of medical school and at least three years of training as a psychiatric resident. They can help differentiate mental health problems from other underlying medical conditions and monitor the effects that mental illness has on other physical conditions the body may experience. They understand the effects of medicine on the body as well.

Mental health counselor

A mental health counselor is a professional who uses a variety of psychotherapy methods to help people who experience psychological distress. This could be problems from psychological illnesses such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, phobias and more.

Most everyone faces different challenges during their life, and some need the help of a professional to cope with difficulties. Counseling focuses on specific issues and is geared to help a person address a particular problem. The focus may be on problem-solving or learning techniques with coping or avoiding trigger areas.

I am a trained clinic social worker with a master’s degree in social work, trained to evaluate and treat mental illnesses.

What does your therapist in Sugar Land do, and how can she help?

Since 2014, I have been helping teens and adults who suffer from anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, bipolar, perfectionism, and more.

I can help you successfully navigate through some of the most difficult and challenging times of your life, find valuable coping skills, confidence, and help you achieve your goals in therapy.

Treatments and services included when you meet with your therapist in Sugar Land:

• Assessing and diagnosing mental illnesses or symptoms of psychological distress

• Providing psychotherapy, behavior, and cognitive therapy

• Talking with clients about past experiences, emotions, thoughts

• Working with clients to set goals

• Establishing and developing treatment plans

• Helping clients identify behaviors, thoughts, triggers, and more

I facilitate implementing various types of therapy, some of which include helping patients with cognitive behavioral therapy—a form of psychological treatment which involves changing thinking patterns, dialectical behavioral therapy and EMDR.

How to get started with your therapist in Sugar Land

One of the most common questions I get asked is, how long will I need therapy? For each person this is different, but oftentimes it’s smart to reflect on how long did you go without therapy?

In our first initial session, I will get to know you, and you will get to know me. I’ll have you tell me about your family, past, how school was for you, what you like and don’t like, etc.

The second session will wrap up any questions or conversations from our first session and will include an evaluation. After this session we will be able to define what you need treated and where we need to start--this is our moment to create and agree upon the plan we will take to get you to where you want to go.

The third and continuing sessions will include finalizing any remaining treatment planning during the 3rd session and finally putting treatment into action!

So many patients I see begin counseling sessions feeling hopeless, lost, and stuck. Within months it is truly amazing to see how they transform to feeling more hopeful, relaxed and understood and how their confidence grows tremendously as anxiety, trauma, and depression dissipate.

If you’re feeling trapped by feelings of anxiety, depression, or other mental illness, give me a call today. I would love to help!