How to choose a therapist

What an LCPC is

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. It means a master's degree in counselling, a set number of supervised clinical hours after it, a national exam, and a licence issued by one state board.

Here is the part that confuses people: most states call this same licence an LPC. Illinois and Maryland call it LCPC, which is why most therapists in this directory are licensed in one of those two. The letters differ by state, not by training.

Why the state on a profile matters

A licence is issued by one state, and a therapist can normally only work with people located in a state where they hold one. That is true even though sessions are online, and it is why the state is printed on every profile and why this directory is organised by it.

If you move or travel, it is worth asking a therapist directly how they handle it. Do not assume it works itself out.

LCPC next to the other licences

Counselling licences (LCPC, LPC, LMHC, LCMHC), clinical social work (LCSW) and marriage and family therapy (LMFT) are different training routes to comparable clinical practice. They overlap a great deal in ordinary work. None ranks above another, and the one that suits you depends on the work rather than the letters.

Checking a licence and an NPI

Every profile prints the licence number and the state exactly as the therapist lists them, and every record here also carries an NPI. This directory verifies neither. The issuing state board keeps a public register, and the national NPI registry is free to search. A number that does not come back is worth asking about.

What a first session is for

Nobody can tell in advance whether a therapist suits them. The first session is where you find out. Changing therapist after a session or two is normal and expected, and a good one will not take it personally.

If you are not safe

Therapy is not an emergency service. If you are in crisis you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at any hour, and if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

Approaches you will see listed

These are the approaches most often named in this directory. Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it; ask directly how someone uses it.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Client-Centered Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Structured approaches such as CBT and solution-focused work set clear goals and often suggest things to try between sessions. Person-centred and mindfulness-based work is more open. Psychodynamic and trauma-focused work looks further back at patterns that keep repeating. Most therapists combine them, and the combination matters less than whether the person makes sense to you.

You can also browse by what they work with, by credential, or by location.