what are those letters after your name?

Those letters are called credentials and they indicate experience, levels of education, and specialties. They can vary from state to state. For example, a substance use counselor in Oregon is a CADC and in Washington they are called SUDP (substance use disorder professional). All credentials require education, providing supervised therapy for a specific length of time, and passing an exam.

what type of therapist should i go to?

Different therapists will provide different styles of therapy. In additional to style and personality, each profession has a unique skill set and approach to therapy. There is no “best” therapy practice. The best therapist for you is the one you feel a connection with. Learning about the various types may help you focus in on what kind of approach you are looking for. Here’s an article for more information.

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. The condensed version is LMFTs see their clients in context – not just individuals, but individuals within multiple layers (i.e. families, careers, social settings, cultures, experiences) and focus on how that shapes interactions with others. 

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor. In general, LPCs are generalists – able to provide support for any situation.

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Workers. To keep it short and sweet, LCSWs focus on getting clients connected to resources.

want therapy for myself. why should I go to a family therapist?

LMFTs (also called Relational Therapists) work with any combination of people. Sometimes that looks like individual therapy. Sometimes it looks like therapy with children, parents, and extended family. It is up to the client to decide if it would be helpful and the therapist to decide if it would be useful.

Sometimes individuals work with LMFTs to explore their relational history and why they repeat similar patterns. Sometimes the focus is on what it was like growing up (in your family of origin) and looking at how that impacts you now. Other times, individuals go to relational therapists to make decisions or changes in their relationship.