What the letters after a therapist's name mean
A plain-language key to the credentials you see on therapist profiles, including what my own letters mean and how to look up any Arizona license.
When you search for a therapist, every profile comes with a string of letters after the name. LPC, LCSW, PsyD, LAC. They look like a code, and in a way they are. The good news is that the code is short, and once you know it, you can read any profile in a few seconds.
The letters tell you two things: what degree the person earned, and what license the state gave them. Both matter, but the license matters most. In Arizona, the words “therapist” and “counselor” are not protected on their own. Anyone can print them on a business card. A license means the state has checked the person’s education, tested them, and holds them to a code of ethics. That is the piece you want to see.
The degree letters
These come first and describe schooling.
MS, MA, or MEd means a master’s degree, usually in counseling, social work, psychology, or a related field. A master’s degree is the standard education for most therapists, and it takes two to three years after a bachelor’s degree, including a year or more of supervised clinical training. The three abbreviations point to slightly different programs. An MS is a master of science, with more emphasis on research and clinical methods, and it is common among counselors and clinical psychology graduates. An MA is a master of arts, with a more theory and humanities based curriculum, and it is common among counselors and marriage and family therapists. An MEd is a master of education, and it is the typical degree for school counselors and for counselors who trained inside a college of education. In practice, all three can lead to the same license, and the license matters more than which of the three someone holds.
PhD or PsyD means a doctorate in psychology. A PhD leans more toward research, and a PsyD leans more toward clinical practice, but both take four to six years and both train people to provide therapy. People with these degrees are usually called psychologists.
MD, DO, or NP means a medical provider. An MD or DO is a physician, and in mental health that is a psychiatrist, a doctor who specialized in mental health after medical school. An NP is a nurse practitioner, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner does similar work with nursing training instead of medical school. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners do not provide talk therapy. They diagnose conditions and prescribe treatment, which usually means medication, and they often work alongside a therapist who does the talking part.
The license letters
In Arizona, most therapists are licensed by the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. The board covers four professions, and each one has two levels: an associate license and an independent license. An associate license means the person is fully licensed to practice and must work under direct clinical supervision. An independent license means they can practice on their own and supervise others.
Counselors are LAC and LPC. LAC stands for Licensed Associate Counselor, and LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor. Counselors do talk therapy, and they also do psychoeducation, which means teaching you how your mind and emotions work, along with skills training and specialized treatments such as EMDR. A counselor’s license covers the full range of mental health concerns and every kind of client, including substance use counseling and marriage and family counseling. The other licenses below often belong to people who chose to focus on one particular specialty.
Moving from an associate license to an independent one takes real time. Arizona requires a set number of supervised hours, and the exact number depends on the license. Along the way, the associate meets regularly with a clinical supervisor, an experienced, independently licensed clinician who reviews their cases and guides their work.
Social workers are LMSW and LCSW. LMSW stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Clinical social workers do the same kind of therapy counselors do, with training that also looks at how your environment, family, and community shape your life.
Marriage and family therapists are LAMFT and LMFT. The letters stand for Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They are trained to see problems through the lens of relationships, and many also see individuals.
Substance abuse counselors are LASAC and LISAC. Those stand for Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor and Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor. Their training focuses on addiction and recovery.
Psychologists are licensed by a separate agency, the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners. Their credential usually appears as “licensed psychologist” alongside a PhD or PsyD. Psychologists can provide therapy, and they are also the people who do formal psychological testing, such as evaluations for learning differences or personality assessment.
What my own letters mean
My credentials are MS, LAC. The MS is a master of science in clinical mental health counseling. The LAC means I am a Licensed Associate Counselor in Arizona.
Here is what that means in practice. I am fully licensed to provide therapy. I hold the same degree and passed the same exam that a professional counselor does. What I am still completing is the supervised experience Arizona requires before it grants the independent LPC license. So in addition to seeing clients, I meet regularly with my clinical supervisor, a seasoned, independently licensed clinician who reviews my work and helps me think through the cases I bring.
Supervision is confidential in the same way therapy is, and my supervisor is bound by the same ethics I am. If you want to know more about my background, it is on my about page.
How to check any license
You do not have to take a profile’s word for it. Every license in Arizona is public, and looking one up takes about a minute.
For counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and substance abuse counselors, go to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners and use the license lookup. You can search by name, and the record shows the license type, whether it is active, and whether the board has taken any disciplinary action.
For psychologists, use the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners. Psychiatrists are licensed by one of two boards, depending on their degree. If the psychiatrist is an MD, look them up at the Arizona Medical Board. If the psychiatrist is a DO, look them up at the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners.
If you cannot find someone in any of these, ask them directly which board licenses them. A licensed clinician will be glad to tell you.
What to actually look for
The letters are a starting point, not the whole story. A license tells you someone is qualified and accountable. It does not tell you whether they are a good fit for you, and fit matters more than most people expect.
So read the letters, confirm the license, and then pay attention to the things a profile cannot fully capture: whether the person works with what you are dealing with, whether they explain things in a way that makes sense to you, and whether you feel a little more at ease after talking with them. If you are curious what that first conversation is like, I wrote about what to expect at your first therapy appointment.
If you have questions about my credentials, my supervision, or whether I am the right fit for what you are going through, I am glad to answer them. There is no pressure to decide anything on the first call.