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Types of Psychotherapy
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Substance Abuse/Addiction Types of Professionals
Types of Professionals Who Practice Psychotherapy

In Connecticut, there are many types of professionals who practice many types of psychotherapy. Psychotherapists who are licensed by the state of Connecticut have completed an accredited professional training program, undergone a period of supervised experience, and passed a formal examination for a specific profession. Licensing also means that the state may investigate a therapist who has been accused of unprofessional conduct. However, just because a therapist is licensed does not mean s/he will be a better therapist for you than one who is not.

The therapeutic professions which are currently licensed in Connecticut include:

  • counseling (denoted by the initials “LPC” after a therapist’s name)
  • alcohol and drug counseling (denoted by “LDAC”)
  • clinical social work (denoted by “LCSW”)
  • marriage and family therapy (denoted by “LMFT”)
  • nurse psychotherapy (denoted by “RN, CS” or “APRN, CS”)
  • psychology (denoted by “PhD”, “PsyD”, or “EdD”)
  • psychiatry (denoted by “MD”).

A therapist can also be “registered” or “certified”—as a “registered art therapist,” for example. Registration and certification in any sub-specialty of psychotherapy are done by private organizations which are not regulated by the state.

All Guild members are licensed in at least one of the following professions, having fulfilled the following requirements:

Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors are the newest counseling professions to be regulated by the state of Connecticut, under legislation passed in 1998. Many counselors who were previously certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC; a private organization), or by the Connecticut Alcohol/Drug Abuse Counselors Certification Board (CADACCB) have been “grandfathered” in by the state, and are already practicing as LPCs and LADCs. In general, LPCs and LADCs must complete a master’s degree in counseling, have 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate work experience, and pass the NBCC’s or CADACCB’s written examination.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers must complete a two-year master’s degree in social work, and two years of supervised post-degree clinical training, and pass a written examination. They may be trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques and approaches.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists must complete at least a two-year master’s degree and two years of supervised post-degree experience, and pass a marriage and family therapist examination. While their training is in marriage and family therapy, they may also be qualified to treat individuals. Therapists with other licenses also may be qualified to conduct marriage and family therapy.

Licensed Psychologists must complete a four-year doctoral degree (PhD, PsyD or EdD), a pre-doctoral internship, and one year of supervised post-degree experience; they must also pass a state licensing examination. Psychologists may practice many different kinds of psychotherapy, and they are also trained to administer and interpret psychological testing.

Nurse Psychotherapists must complete a two-year master’s degree and two years of post-degree supervised experience, and pass an examination before being licensed. Some nurse psychotherapists with special training in psychopharmacology hold an advanced practice license (APRN) which licenses them to prescribe medication.

Psychiatrists complete four years of medical school, a year of medical internship and then three years of psychiatric residency. Child psychiatrists must have an additional two years of training in their specialty. All must take a national examination to become Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. Psychiatrists are especially trained in biomedical aspects of emotional problems and mental illness, but may have training in any of a number of types of therapy.