Psychologists are highly trained professionals with advanced training in assessing and diagnosing mental disorders.  They also provide mental health counseling, and usually they specialize in treating specific mental disorders.  Psychologists often utilize and/or complete academic research as a basis of treatment.  Other mental health professionals (such as Marriage & Family Therapists, Clinical Social Workers, and Mental Health Counselors) frequently refer people to Psychologists in order to seek comprehensive, valid, and reliable diagnostic testing.  Such tests are used to confirm or rule out the diagnostic impression of therapists, and provide more definitive data to support mental health interventions.

   Psychiatrists² are very much like psychologists with one main exception--a Psychiatrist can prescribe medications.  They often specialize in specific mental disorders and are generally the most expensive mental health practitioners.  The reason Psychiatrists are more expensive is that they are medical doctors with training geared to biological dysfunctions and medication management.  Sometimes a psychiatrist will provide mental health counseling--but this is very uncommon.  Other mental health professionals usually refer clients to Psychiatrists when therapy alone is not curative.

   According to the National Association of Social Workers⁴  "there are more clinically trained social workers--over 190,000 in 1998--than psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses combined. Federal programs and the National Institutes of Health recognize social work as one of five core mental health professions." Clinical Social Workers who provide mental health services  have a graduate degree.  The distinction between Clinical Social Workers and other mental health professionals is that  CSW's are specifically trained to view presenting problems by assessing them within a systems perspective; mental disorders are not presumed to exist (if they exist at all) merely as a biological process.  "Disorders" are seen generally as by-products of life events (family, school, work, community, society, etc.).  Often, when the resulting by-products are resolved, many "symptoms" subside.  professional social workers are the nation's largest group of mental health services providers. LaRose is a CSW. 

   According to the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy⁵, MFT's view mental health issues via family systems; "a family's patterns of behavior influences the individual."  Like other mental health professionals, MFT's can treat and diagnose mental illnesses via counseling methods.  The distinction with MFT's is their emphasis on the influence of family and marital factors in relationship to a clients presenting problems.  The systems view is similar to that of Clinical Social Workers, but the system of attention that is central for MFT's is most commonly linked to the primary family dynamic.   

   A Mental Health Counselor likely carries the most universal label that describes the profession.  MHC's treat mental disorders via talk therapy methods, and like most mental health professionals they often specialize.  According to the American Mental Health Counselors Association⁶ "mental health counselors are uniquely qualified to provide high quality care that's more affordable than other practitioners."  The profession is regulated by the same governing board that oversees marriage & family therapists and clinical social workers.  "Consumer oriented therapy" is likely more prominent when working with the MHC as opposed to the clinical social worker or the marriage and family therapist.   

   According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association⁷ psychiatric nursing is considered a nursing specialty.  To be an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) the nurse must have a master's degree.  Psychiatric ARNP's can prescribe medications for mental illness provided they are working under the written protocol of a medical doctor.  The medical doctor does not have to be working in the facility where the ARNP sees patients (in the state of Florida).  Many psychiatric ARNP's will provide some talk therapy as a component of medication management. 

   Play Therapy is a method of intervention that uses play techniques to treat mental illness and behavioral disorders. Play therapy is a specialized treatment method used by social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists and it is a practice method that is credentialed through the Association for Play Therapy⁸.  The methods of play therapy are not only used for children but also it is useful for adults.  A unique component to play therapy is its more pronounced approach in prevention.  The APT summarizes the specialty this way: it is "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development."   

   The American Art Therapy Association⁹ describes art therapy as a mental health profession whereby Art Therapists hold master's degrees in the field.  The practice, like most mental health treatment modalities, is rooted in research that shows effectiveness with a wide range of mental disorders.  Art Therapists are regulated and credentialed via the Art Therapy Credentials Board.  AT's use "drawing, painting, sculpture and other media" to assess and treat mental illnesses.  The practice, according to the AATA, "is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight." 

   The American Music Therapy Association¹⁰ explains the work of Music Therapists in the context of healing via music; "music therapy is an established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages."  In music therapy the application of music to all mental disorders for the purposes of treatment is the focus of the intervention.  Whereas other therapists might specialize in certain disorders, the music therapist specializes in the use of music to accommodate healing.  The use of music therapy is especially effective with the very young, the disabled, and the elderly in cases where more traditional counseling methods cannot be used (children with developmental disorders, brain injury patients, and people with dementia related disorders).