Mental health provider degrees and certifications

Mental health providers can have many different degrees, licenses, certifications, registrations and other designations. You may wonder if the more initials that mental health providers have after their names, the more qualified they are to treat you. Or, you simply may find this "alphabet soup" confusing.

Although higher degrees and certifications generally indicate that a mental health provider has pursued advanced training and education, there isn't necessarily a direct correlation between the number of degrees and the quality of care you receive. You may be just as happy with a mental health provider who has a master's degree as with someone who has a doctoral degree and is board certified by several organizations.

In any case, understanding what all of those letters mean can help you sort out your choices for a mental health provider. In addition, your health insurance coverage may determine which type of mental health provider you can visit, so it pays to know the differences. Here are some mental health provider degrees and certifications that you may see.

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Bipolar disorder
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Generalized anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
Agoraphobia
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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Catatonic schizophrenia
Paranoid schizophrenia
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Personality disorders