What is the difference between mft and lpc

The nuances are usually determined by the population a therapist or counselor is working with. For example, mental health counselors work with those who have mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression. Marriage and family therapists work with couples and families who are undergoing issues ranging from infidelity to addiction within a family.

Licensed marriage and family therapists LMFTs help couples and family members manage problems within their relationships. Many LMFTs work in private practices and meet regularly with clients to learn about experiences and emotions that are causing issues. Often, LMFTs use a practice called cognitive behavioral therapy with their clients.

In this goal-oriented approach, an LMFT helps clients learn how beliefs, feelings and thoughts are affecting their actions. The LMFT teaches them to recognize destructive patterns and work to change them.

LMFTs may work with individuals one-on-one who are going through couple- or family-related issues, with multiple related parties on a one-on-one basis, or with couples or groups together in the same room.

LMFTs may work in conjunction with social workers, especially when there are family issues such as abuse or addiction present. Licensed professional counselors LPCs , who may specialize as mental health counselors, provide treatment and support to those who are experiencing mental health issues like stress, low- self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and grief. LPCs work with individuals as well as couples, families and groups who are undergoing stressful situations.

That matters a great deal as new professionals are being trained and socialized into their respective professions. Of course, the perspectives above are purist ones, and even looking at things from that purist perspective, there is significant overlap between these philosophies for dealing with many problems. Each of these fields has also been influenced by the others. The professions all benefit from this cross-pollination, which helps us communicate effectively with one another and assess clients more thoroughly.

But, using LMFTs as an example, one only needs examine the core competencies for LMFTs to see where the overlap ends; even just reading through the list of skills all LMFTs are expected to be able to do, they can be broken down roughly equally into three categories:. Tasks that all mental health professionals should be able to do, and that all would do about the same way for example, suicide assessment. Tasks that all mental health professionals should be able to do, but LMFTs would do from a different conceptual framework for example, general mental health assessment; MFTs would approach this from a relational mindset.

Tasks that LMFTs should be able to do that other mental health professionals would not necessarily be expected to do for example, a systemic case conceptualization. Of course, LMFTs are not superior to the other professions, nor do they have greater job functions.

The point is, while we all do many of the same things in assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental illness, it is quite a disservice to the professions to suggest we are all the same. Reprinted here by permission. Learn more about the book or purchase the current fifth edition here. Professional Clinical Counseling The professional clinical counseling field emerged from school and career counseling. The different health professions would ask the same question, why is John suffering from anxiety?

Their starting points would however differ. A Freudian would examine his childhood while a behaviorist would zoom in on John as an individual and examine his present. Pathology would furthermore be the focus of traditional psychology. Professional clinical counseling emerged from school and career counseling. Examinations will be carried out to determine his social and psychological development, and treatment will narrow in on helping John to improve his overall development and wellness, including treating the mental illness.

Clinical social workers focus on creating connections between people and the resources they need to function optimally. The resources may be internal, like personal skills and strengths which John may not have utilized efficiently, or external, like community resources and support groups.

LMFTs look at behavior from a social and relational perspective. Perhaps the anxiety he is experiencing is even adaptive when looked at from this perspective, as he may receive support from his wife or boss when he exhibits his anxiety outwardly.