Behavioral health professions involve the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of behavioral health problems. They include a wide range of professional disciplines such as psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, marriage and family therapists, licensed counselors, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. Members of these professions are licensed and/or certified at the state and/or national level, and their titles are protected by state law (that is, a person may not use these titles unless he or she has met certain requirements set by state regulatory boards).

Licensure or certification indicates only that a person has met certain minimum standards—which vary across states—with respect to education, training, experience, and written and oral examinations. It does not necessarily reflect a person’s level of professional competence. In addition, some titles such as "psychotherapist" and "counselor" are generic terms that have little or no specific meaning with respect to the credentials of the person using them, and in most states are not protected by law (that is, people can use these titles even without any relevant education, training, or experience). For these reasons it is important to check the qualifications of any behavioral health professional whose services you are considering using.

Although there is significant overlap in the work that different types of behavioral health professionals do, there are a number of important distinctions between them in terms of education, training, licensure, skills, and expertise.

Psychiatrists generally hold M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degrees. They have completed four years of medical school, at least one year of internship training, at least four years of residency training in psychiatry, and in some cases, one to three years of fellowship training in a subspecialty of psychiatry (for example, child psychiatry). They are trained in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral health problems. Their education includes training in the use of psychotropic medication, and with a few exceptions, they are the only behavioral health professionals who can legally prescribe medications. They may or may not have training and expertise in the use of psychotherapy. They are licensed at the state level, and may or may not be board certified in psychiatry and/or its subspecialties at the national level.

Neurologists generally hold M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degrees. They have completed four years of medical school, at least one year of internship training, at least three years of residency training in neurology, and in some cases, one to three years of fellowship training in a subspecialty of neurology. They are trained in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological disorders, which often have emotional and/or behavioral symptoms. They may prescribe psychotropic medication to treat these symptoms. They are licensed at the state level, and may or may not be board certified in neurology and/or its subspecialties at the national level.

Psychologists generally hold Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology), or Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) degrees. They have completed four to six years of graduate training in psychology, one or two years of internship training, and at least one or two years of postdoctoral training. They are trained in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral health problems. Their education includes extensive training in psychological assessment and psychotherapy, and in general, they are the behavioral health professionals most qualified to provide such services. Ph.D. programs usually include extensive training in research, while Psy.D. and Ed.D. programs typically place more emphasis on training in clinical and/or administrative skills. Only one state (New Mexico) currently allows psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication, and only with additional training and supervised experience. They are licensed at the state level, and may or may not be board-certified in specialties of psychology at the national level. 

Professionals with master’s degrees in psychology—M.A. (Master of Arts), M.S. (Master of Science), or M.Ed. (Master of Education)—generally have completed at least two years of graduate training in psychology and at least one year of internship training. In most states, they may not use the title of "psychologist" and may provide services only under the supervision of a doctoral-level psychologist unless they practice within a school setting. They are licensed at the state level.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) generally hold M.S.W. (Master’s of Social Work) degrees. They have completed at least two years of graduate training in social work and at least two years of supervised work experience. Some LCSWs hold doctoral degrees, which require additional years of training and experience. They are trained in social welfare, agency administration, and case management. They may or may not have training in psychotherapy. In general, they are the behavioral health professionals most qualified to identify and access community resources for people with behavioral health problems. They are licensed at the state level, and may or may not be certified in specialties of social work at the national level.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) generally hold master’s degrees—M.A. (Master of Arts), M.S. (Master of Science), or M.Ed. (Master of Education)—in psychology, counseling, or a related field. They have completed at least two years of graduate training and one to two years of supervised work experience. They are trained in psychotherapy and/or counseling, usually from a systems orientation, in which individuals are treated as part of a couple or family unit. They are licensed at the state level.

Licensed Counselors generally hold master’s degrees—M.A. (Master of Arts), M.S. (Master of Science), or M.Ed. (Master of Education)—in psychology, counseling, or a related field. They have completed at least two years of graduate training and one to two years of supervised work experience. They are trained in psychotherapy and/or counseling. They are licensed at the state level, and may or may not be certified in specialties of counseling at the national level.

Other Behavioral Health Professionals such as music therapists, art therapists, hypnotherapists, and pastoral counselors are usually licensed in psychology, counseling, social work, or a related field and have comparable education, training, and experience to licensed professionals in those fields. These professions are certified in some states and/or by some professional associations.