Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) vs Licensed Social worker (LCSW)

[JEDI]

What's the diff?

edit:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

 

[Heisenberg]

Some states do not require any certification to become a "professional counselor". All you have to do is hang a sign out. A licensed social worker is a licensed and regulated profession.

 

[Looney]

I always thought that a social worker simply pointed you in the direction of the help you needed... but as somebody who has never needed the help of a social worker, i don't really know.

 

[lobbyone]

whats the pay like

 

[thomsbrain]

any shmuck can call himself a "counselor." it is a meaningless title and if someone is using it, you know it is precisely BECAUSE they lack they necessary skills, education, and license to become a therapist. so steer clear, because they can't do anything for you that your mother can't do (give advice).

Licensed Clincal Social Workers are therapists and generally do a different job than a social worker, who just manages cases. you only need your MSW to be a social worker. getting your license requires that PLUS something like 4000 hours of time, plus you have to pass a big test. the pay potential for a LCSW starts at roughly the max for a social worker, and can climb to well over double that of a social worker.

 

[ScottFern]

My girlfriend is going for her masters in counseling and one of the requirements is passing the LPC test to become licensed. And after working under a LPC with alot more experience for two years than her she can get her LCPC which I believe allows her to work independently and open her own counseling business if she so desires.

 

[Chryso]

I think a social worker works for the gubment.

 

[JEDI]

edit:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

 

[FoBoT]

one you make $100 a week, the other you make $105 per week

 

[moonbit]

Depends on what state you're in. Every state has its own requirements for both LPCs and LCSWs (even if LCSWs have a national association). Usually the differences are in education and number of hours required to become licensed.

However, I do believe that an LCSW's education tends to focus more on issues in the context of the community, and community interventions, while LPC's are mainly focused on the individual. In the actual practice of therapy, there is more differences between individual practitioners than between the groups as a whole.

LCSWs are recognized, licensed, and regulated in all states (of the U.S), while LPCs are not recognized in California and Nevada.

Pay most likely differs by where they work (non-profit, government, private practice), not by whether they're one or the other.