Global Glossary of Therapist Credentials: Abbreviations & Qualifications

Understanding therapist credentials around the world can be challenging, especially since each country uses different abbreviations and requirements for mental health professionals. This exhaustive glossary covers credentials for therapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, family therapists, psychoanalysts, and psychotherapists, as well as the training they require and the professional bodies responsible for their regulation. It will help you make informed decisions about mental health care providers, no matter where you are.

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North America

United States:

• Psychiatrists (M.D., D.O.): Medical doctors specialising in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. Requires medical school, a written examination for a state licence to practise medicine, and a 4-year psychiatry residency. Most psychiatrists then take a voluntary written and oral examination given by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) to become “board certified”; that certification is not the licence and is not required to practise.¹
  
• Psychologists (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D.): Doctoral-level professionals specialising in mental health. Requires a Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology and a licence from the psychology licensing board of the state where the psychologist practises. The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral programmes; it licenses nobody, and the voluntary specialty certification some psychologists hold is awarded by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Ph.D. programs are research-oriented, while Psy.D. programs focus more on clinical practice.
  
• Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC, LMHC, LPCC): Requires a Master’s degree in counselling, a period of post-degree supervised practice whose length is set by the state, and a licence from that state’s counselling board. The American Counselling Association (ACA) is a voluntary membership body; it regulates nobody. LPCs specialise in providing therapy for mental health, emotional issues, and life challenges.
  
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): Requires a Master of Social Work (MSW), post-degree supervised clinical experience, and a licence from the state social work board, which normally sets an examination developed by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a membership body and issues no licence. LCSWs provide therapy and assist with social services such as housing and healthcare access.
  
• Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT, LMFT): Requires a Master’s degree, a clinical internship, post-degree supervised practice, and a licence from the state board that regulates marriage and family therapy. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is a membership and programme-accrediting body; it issues no licence. Focuses on relational and systemic therapy for couples and families.
  
• Psychotherapist: This title generally includes licensed professionals like LPCs, LMFTs, or LCSWs, with certification depending on the state and local regulations.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires additional specialised training in psychoanalysis beyond a mental health degree, including years of personal psychoanalysis and supervised practice. The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) accredits training institutes and admits members; it is a professional association and issues no licence to practise.

Canada:

• Registered Psychologist (RPsych): Requires a doctorate in psychology, a period of supervised practice, and registration with the psychology regulatory college of the province or territory where the psychologist practises. There is no federal psychology licence in Canada, and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) is a membership body that licenses nobody.
  
• Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC): Requires a Master’s degree in counselling, then certification through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). CCC is a voluntary national credential, not a licence; regulation of the professions in Canada is provincial. CCCs provide individual and group therapy.
  
• Marriage and Family Therapist: Requires a Master’s degree and supervised clinical practice. Regulation is provincial: where marriage and family therapy is statutorily regulated it falls under the province’s own college, and credentials issued by professional associations are voluntary designations rather than licences.
• Clinical Social Worker (RCSW): Requires a Master of Social Work (MSW) and registration with the social work regulator of the province or territory where the social worker practises. The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is a national professional association and does not issue that registration.
  
• Psychoanalysts: They require postgraduate training in psychoanalysis, which typically includes supervised practice, theory study, and personal psychoanalysis. They are certified by local bodies such as the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Latin America

Mexico:

• Licensed Psychologist (Psicólogo, LP): Requires a psychology degree (licenciatura) and a cédula profesional — the practising licence issued through the Dirección General de Profesiones of the Secretaría de Educación Pública once the degree is registered. The Sociedad Mexicana de Psicología is a professional association and issues no licence.
  
• Licensed Counselor (Consejero): This position typically requires a psychology or social work degree, with additional training in counseling practices.
  
• Psychiatrist (Psiquiatra, M.D.): Requires a medical degree, a cédula profesional to practise medicine, and a residency in psychiatry. Specialty certification is issued by the profession’s own certifying council and is separate from the licence to practise.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires postgraduate training in psychoanalysis, generally following a degree in psychology or psychiatry.

Brazil:

• Registered Psychologist (CRP): Requires a 5-year undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by registration with the Regional Council of Psychology (CRP) for the state where the psychologist practises; the CRP issues the professional identity card that evidences the right to practise. The Federal Council of Psychology (CFP) is the national apex of those regional councils.
  
• Clinical Psychologist (Psicólogo Clínico): Specialisation in clinical psychology after a psychology degree, with registration overseen by the CFP.
  
• Psychiatrist (Psiquiatra): Requires a medical degree and registration with the Regional Council of Medicine (CRM) for the state of practice, which is what permits medical practice, followed by specialisation in psychiatry. Professional associations award specialist titles; they do not license practice.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Specialisation in psychoanalysis typically follow training in psychology or psychiatry.

Argentina:

• Psychologist (Lic. en Psicología): Requires a university degree in psychology and enrolment on the matrícula, the register that permits practice. Under Ley 23.277 of 1985 the control of professional practice and the governance of the matrícula sit with the national health authority in the federal capital, and with the corresponding authority in each province. Professional associations confer membership, not the matrícula.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Argentina is known for its psychoanalytic tradition, with training typically completed through institutes such as the Argentine Psychoanalytic Association.

Europe

United Kingdom:

• Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol): Requires a psychology degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), followed by doctoral-level training in an area of psychology. Chartered status is a BPS membership grade, not a licence. The titles protected by law are the HCPC’s, and they include “clinical psychologist” and “counselling psychologist”: anyone using one of those must be on the HCPC Register.
  
• Registered Psychotherapist (UKCP Registered): Requires training in psychotherapy to the standard of the register the practitioner joins, together with personal therapy and supervised practice. “Psychotherapist” is not a protected title in the United Kingdom and the HCPC does not regulate psychotherapists — neither “counsellor” nor “psychotherapist” appears on the HCPC’s list of protected titles, so practising under those titles does not require being on the HCPC’s Register. The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) holds a voluntary register.⁹
  
• Counsellor (MBACP): Requires a diploma or Master’s degree in counselling and, in most cases, registered membership of a professional body such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Counselling is not statutorily regulated in the United Kingdom: BACP holds a voluntary register, and MBACP means the practitioner met that register’s standards, not that the state licensed them.² Counsellors typically focus on short-term therapy for life challenges and emotional well-being.
  
• Social Worker: Requires an approved social work qualification and registration with Social Work England.³
  
• Systemic and Family Psychotherapist (UKCP Registered): Requires postgraduate training in systemic and family psychotherapy. The British title is systemic and family psychotherapist rather than “marriage and family therapist”, and UKCP registration is a voluntary register, not a statutory licence.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires extensive postgraduate training, including personal analysis and supervised practice. The British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) holds a voluntary register; psychoanalysis is not a statutorily regulated profession in the United Kingdom.

Germany:

• Psychological Psychotherapist (Psychologische/r Psychotherapeut/in): Requires the Approbation, the state licence to practise psychotherapy. Under the Psychotherapeutengesetz of 15 November 2019, in force since 1 September 2020, the route is a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in psychotherapy ending in the psychotherapeutische Prüfung, a state examination held under the supervision of the state examination office; practitioners who qualified under the previous law took a psychology degree plus three to five years of post-graduate training. The BPtK is the federal association of the state psychotherapist chambers and does not grant the Approbation.
  
• Psychiatrist (Facharzt für Psychiatrie): Medical doctors who specialise in psychiatry after medical school and residency. Practice requires the Approbation as a doctor, granted by the health authority of the federal state under the Bundesärzteordnung and its Approbationsordnung; the specialist title is awarded by the state medical chamber. The Bundesärztekammer is the federal association of those chambers and grants neither.
  
• Psychoanalysts: They require postgraduate training in psychoanalysis and certification through bodies like the German Psychoanalytic Association (DPV).

France:

• Psychologist (Psychologue): Requires a Master’s degree in psychology. There is no Ordre national des psychologues in France: the bill to create one, proposition de loi n° 2587, was tabled on 2 May 2024 and lapsed when the Assemblée nationale was dissolved in June 2024. What exists is title protection — under article 44 of loi n° 85-772 of 25 July 1985 the professional use of the title “psychologue” is reserved to holders of the prescribed university qualifications — together with listing on the register held by the Agence Régionale de Santé.
  
• Psychiatrist (Psychiatre): Requires a medical degree and a specialisation in psychiatry, followed by registration with the Ordre des Médecins, the body that admits doctors to practice in France. There is no “French National Board of Psychiatrists”.
  
• Psychothérapeute: A separately regulated title, and the one France actually regulates in psychotherapy. Décret n° 2010-534 of 20 May 2010 reserves it to practitioners entered on a departmental list; the application goes to the director-general of the Agence Régionale de Santé and inscription must be made before any use of the title. The national register of psychotherapists is the sum of those departmental lists.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires training through psychoanalytic institutes, such as the Paris Psychoanalytic Society (SPP).
  

Italy:

• Psychologist (Psicologo): Requires a five-year psychology degree and a supervised internship, followed by the esame di Stato — the state examination for abilitazione to practise, governed by decreto ministeriale n. 240 of 13 January 1992 — and enrolment on the albo of the Ordine degli Psicologi, established by legge 18 febbraio 1989, n. 56. The Italian Association of Psychology (AIP) is a scientific association and certifies nobody.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires postgraduate psychoanalytic training—certification is provided by bodies like the Italian Psychoanalytic Society (SPI).

Spain:

• Psychologist (Psicólogo, Psicoterapeuta): The regulated clinical qualification is the official title of Psicólogo Especialista en Psicología Clínica, created by Real Decreto 2490/1998 and obtained through a four-year residency (PIR) rather than a taught Master’s. Practitioners enrol with the Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos for their region; the Consejo General de la Psicología de España (COP) is the national council of those colegios.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires additional training beyond a degree in psychiatry or psychology, certified by the Spanish Psychoanalytic Society (SEP).
  

Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway):

• Psychologist (Psykolog, Leg. Psykolog): Requires a psychology degree followed by supervised practice, and then a state authorisation, which the national psychology associations do not issue. In Sweden, legitimation as psykolog is granted by Socialstyrelsen under the Patientsäkerhetslag (2010:659), and psykoterapeut is a separate legitimation profession under the same Act. In Norway, authorisation as psykolog is granted by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. In Denmark, the title is protected by the psykologlov and autorisation is granted by Psykolognævnet after a cand.psych. degree and two years of supervised practice.
  
• Psychiatrist (Specialist i Psykiatri): This profession requires a medical degree and psychiatric specialisation, and certification is provided by the national medical councils.
  
• Family Therapist: Typically certified through psychotherapy or psychology training programs, focusing on relational therapy.

Asia

India:

• Registered Clinical Psychologist (RCI): Requires a Master's in clinical psychology, a 2-year M.Phil in clinical psychology, and registration with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).
  
• Counselling Psychologist: Requires a Master’s degree in counselling psychology. The Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP) is a professional association and certifies nobody. The statutory register is the Rehabilitation Council of India’s, and the rehabilitation professionals it covers under the RCI Act 1992 include clinical psychologists, not counselling psychologists as a separate category.
  
• Educational Psychologist: Requires a Master's in psychology, focusing on educational settings. There is no statutory register for educational psychologists in India. The Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992 register covers clinical psychologists and such other categories of professional as the Central Government may notify, and educational psychology is not among them, so practitioners hold university qualifications rather than a licence.
  
• Psychiatrist: After a medical degree, a postgraduate qualification in psychiatry is required. Doctors are licensed to practise by enrolment on the State or National Medical Register under the National Medical Commission Act 2019; the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is a professional association and regulates nobody.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires specialised training in psychoanalysis, often completed abroad through international associations.
  

China:

• Psychotherapist (心理治疗师, xinli zhiliaoshi): A state health professional technical qualification rather than an association registration. It is obtained by passing the national health professional technical qualification examination administered through the National Health Commission’s Talent Exchange Service Centre, where psychotherapist sits in the specialty catalogue at junior code 212 and intermediate code 386, and the certificate is issued jointly by the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Candidates are entered for the examination by an employing licensed medical institution; there is no individual application route. The China Association for Mental Health (CAMH) is a voluntary academic society under the China Association for Science and Technology and registers nobody.
  
• Clinical Psychologist: Clinical psychology is not a licensed profession in China and there is no statutory register for it, so no body licenses or oversees the title. The only state credential in the psychological treatment space is the psychotherapist health technical qualification above, which is held within a licensed medical institution. The national psychological counsellor certification (心理咨询师, xinli zixunshi) was removed from the state occupational qualification catalogue in 2017, so certificates issued under that name today are private rather than state credentials.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Certification from psychoanalytic institutes, often in collaboration with global bodies like the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA).

Japan:

• Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師): Japan’s national psychology licence, created by the Certified Public Psychologist Act, Act No. 68 of 16 September 2015. The examination is set by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology together with the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, the qualification is held by entry on the national register, and the title is reserved by law to those registered.
  
• Clinical Psychologist (臨床心理士): A private certification, predating the national licence and still widely held. It is awarded by the Japanese Certification Board for Clinical Psychologists; it is not a state licence, and the Japan Society of Certified Clinical Psychologists (JSCCP) is the practitioners’ society rather than the certifying body.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Must complete training through international bodies such as the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA).
  

Singapore:

• Registered Counsellor (SRC, Singapore Registered Counsellor): Requires a Master’s degree in counselling and, in practice, registration with the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC). Neither counselling nor psychology is licensed by statute in Singapore: SAC’s register, like the Singapore Register of Psychologists, is a voluntary professional register. The Singapore Psychological Society says of its own register that it “is not a licensing board” and that membership “does not serve as a license to practice”.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Typically trained through international associations like the IPA.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia:

• Licensed Psychologist (مستشار نفسي): Requires a Master’s degree in psychology, regulated by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS).
  
• Psychiatrist (طبيب نفسي): Requires a medical degree and specialisation in psychiatry, overseen by the SCFHS.
  

United Arab Emirates:

• Clinical Psychologist (DHA Licensed Clinical Psychologist): Requires a Master’s or Doctoral degree in psychology, licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
  
• Psychiatrist: Requires a medical degree and psychiatric training, and a licence from the health authority of the emirate or free zone of practice rather than from a single national regulator. Those authorities are the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH) for Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) for Dubai, the Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCC) for practitioners inside that free zone, and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), renamed from the Ministry of Health in 2016, for the northern emirates. Check the register of the authority that covers the place the practitioner actually works.
  

Israel:

• Licensed Clinical Psychologist: Requires a Master’s degree in psychology and a supervised specialisation in clinical psychology. Practice is restricted by the Psychologists Law 1977 to psychologists entered on the Register of Psychologists (פנקס הפסיכולוגים), which is held by the Ministry of Health; the Israeli Psychological Association is a voluntary professional body and registers nobody.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Requires training through psychoanalytic institutes such as the Israel Psychoanalytic Society.
  

Africa

South Africa:

• Clinical Psychologist (HPCSA Registered): Requires a Master’s degree in clinical psychology, an accredited internship and a year of community service, and registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa under the Professional Board for Psychology. The HPCSA registers practitioners; it does not certify them. Under the 2011 scope regulations, clinical psychologists identify and diagnose psychiatric disorders and psychological conditions and apply evidence-based interventions to people with those conditions.⁴
  
• Counselling Psychologist (HPCSA Registered): Registered with the HPCSA on a Master’s degree in counselling psychology with accredited internship and community service. The difference from clinical psychology is one of focus, not a ceiling of severity. The 2011 scope regulations place within the scope of counselling psychologists “assessing, diagnosing, and intervening in clients dealing with life challenges, and developmental problems”, “identifying psychopathology”, “identifying, and diagnosing disorders of adjustments”, “performing therapeutic counselling interventions” and “providing expert evidence and / or opinions”.
  
• Registered Counsellor (HPCSA Registered): Requires a professional Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (BPsych, a 480-credit qualification exiting at NQF level 8) or an approved BPsych Equivalent programme, each incorporating an approved full-time six-month practicum, followed by the Professional Board examination and registration with the HPCSA. There is no “Bachelor’s in counselling psychology” registration route. Registered counsellors perform screening, basic assessment and supportive, compensatory and routine psychological interventions, and refer clients needing more advanced assessment; projective, neuropsychological and diagnostic testing falls outside their scope.
  
• Educational Psychologist (HPCSA Registered): Specialises in working with children and educational institutions, and is registered with the HPCSA under the Professional Board for Psychology.
  
• Clinical Social Worker: Requires a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), regulated by the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP).⁵
  
• Psychoanalysts: Certification from institutes associated with international psychoanalytic organisations, such as the IPA.

Nigeria:

• Clinical Psychologist: Requires a Master’s degree in psychology. Nigeria has no statutory council for the psychology profession and the title “psychologist” is not statutorily protected: the Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA) and the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP) are voluntary professional associations, and the bill to create a statutory council (SB. 625 of 2018) has not been enacted. Psychiatrists, by contrast, are regulated by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
  
• Social Worker: Typically holds a social work degree; the Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) is a voluntary professional association, not a statutory regulator.
  

Australia and Oceania

Australia:

• Registered Psychologist (AHPRA Registered): Requires a Master’s or Doctoral degree in psychology and registration with the Psychology Board of Australia, which is administered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). “Psychologist” is a protected title under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.
  
• Clinical Psychologist (Board-endorsed): Requires registration as a psychologist plus an area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology, granted by the Psychology Board of Australia under the National Law and its Area of practice endorsement registration standard. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is a membership body; it endorses nobody.
  
• Counsellor (ACA or PACFA Registered): Requires a counselling qualification recognised by the register the counsellor joins. Counselling is not a registered profession under the National Law: the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) hold voluntary registers, and neither is a statutory regulator.
  
• Psychiatrist (FRANZCP): Requires medical training, then Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, which is the qualification the Medical Board of Australia accepts for specialist registration in psychiatry. It is the Board’s specialist registration — not the College fellowship on its own — that protects the title.⁶
  
• Clinical Social Worker: Requires an accredited social work qualification and, in most settings, membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers. Social work is not a registered profession under the National Law: the AASW accredits courses and its own members, which is a professional standard rather than a licence.
  
• Family Therapist: Requires postgraduate training in family therapy. The body is the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT), which confers membership rather than a licence; “Family Therapy Australia (AFT)” is not its name, and AFT is the United Kingdom’s Association for Family Therapy.

New Zealand:

• Clinical Psychologist (NZPB Registered): Requires a minimum of a Master’s degree in psychology from a Board-accredited educational organisation, an accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology or an equivalent qualification, and a Board-approved practicum or internship involving 1,500 hours of supervised practice. The New Zealand Psychologists Board registers psychologists into a scope of practice under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003; it does not certify them, and the degree is in psychology, not clinical psychology.⁷
  
• Psychotherapist (PBANZ Registered): A protected title under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Unless you are registered with the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand you may not call yourself a psychotherapist, although the Act protects the title rather than the activity.
  
• Counsellor (NZAC Member): Counselling is not a regulated profession in New Zealand. The New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) is a voluntary professional body and its membership is not a state registration.
  

International Organisations and Certifications

World Health Organisation (WHO): Publishes the International Classification of Diseases and clinical guidance such as mhGAP, which governments may adopt into their own health systems. It does not register, certify or license any mental health professional, and there is no such thing as a WHO-credentialed therapist.

International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC): A consortium of member certification boards, predominantly in the United States, working mainly with addiction and prevention professionals. Its credentials are issued by those member boards and its reciprocity operates between them; it regulates nobody, and “International Counselling Certification” is not its name.

International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA): Recognises component societies and training institutes through which analysts qualify. It accredits training rather than certifying individuals directly, and substantial psychoanalytic traditions train outside it.

Global Variations in Qualifications and Licensure for Mental Health Professionals, with Credential Requirements

Note: Requirements and regulators differ by country, and within federal countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia they differ again by state, province or territory. Check the register named in the entry for the country you are in, not a body from somewhere else. Additionally, the requirements may change over time, so staying updated with the latest regulations is essential.

United States

• Psychologists: Doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). (Several states allow individuals to get a psychology license with a master’s degree.)
  
• Counsellors: Master's degree, National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE).
  
• Clinical Social Workers: Master's in Social Work (MSW), Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam.
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: Master’s degree, supervised client-contact hours, and the state licensure examination — the Marital and Family Therapy National Examination, set by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) accredits training programmes through COAMFTE; it sets no licensure examination.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree (M.D. or D.O.), a state medical licence, and four years of psychiatry residency; then voluntary board certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), which is not required to practise.
  
• Psychoanalysts: The number varies by state, but they generally require extensive postgraduate training and supervised clinical experience and are often certified by the American Psychoanalytic Association.

United Kingdom

• Counsellors: A recognised counselling qualification and, for registered membership, assessment by BACP or another voluntary register. Counselling is not statutorily regulated in the United Kingdom.
  
• Clinical Psychologists: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration, which is what allows the protected title “clinical psychologist” to be used.
  
• Social Workers: Registered with Social Work England.
  
• Systemic and Family Psychotherapists: Postgraduate training; membership of the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) is voluntary — the title is not statutorily protected.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), specialized psychiatry training.⁸
  
• Psychoanalysts: Typically, postgraduate training in psychoanalysis and membership in a recognized psychoanalytic institute.

Canada

• Psychologists: Doctoral degree, Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology in Canada (EPPP-Canada).
  
• Counselors: Master's degree, certification exam by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
  
• Social Workers: MSW, then registration with the social work regulator of the province or territory in which they practise.
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: Accredited postgraduate programme; where the profession is regulated in Canada, it is regulated provincially.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Postgraduate training, certification by the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society or similar.
  

Australia

• Psychologists: Two routes to general registration. On the higher degree pathway, a four-year accredited undergraduate sequence is followed by a Board-approved postgraduate qualification accredited as the fifth and sixth year of study, and its graduates are exempt from the National Psychology Exam. On the 5+1 internship pathway, an accredited fifth year of study is followed by a one-year supervised internship, and a pass in the National Psychology Exam is required before general registration. The 4+2 pathway is closed to new entrants.
  
• Counsellors: Master's degree, adherence to PACFA ’s or ACA’s standards.
  
• Clinical Social Workers: MSW, accreditation by the AASW .
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: Accredited postgraduate training, AAFT membership.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP).
  
• Psychoanalysts: Extensive postgraduate training, membership with the Australian Psychoanalytical Society or equivalent.

South Africa

• Psychologists: Master's degree, National Examination of the Professional Board for Psychology, one-year community service.
  
• Registered Counsellors: BPsych or approved BPsych-Equivalent degree with a six-month practicum, Professional Board examination, HPCSA registration. The Association for Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practices (ASCHP) is a private association, not a statutory regulator; membership of it is not HPCSA registration.
  
• Clinical Social Workers: The South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) registration.
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: Postgraduate qualifications in family therapy. Marriage and family therapy is not a separate registration category in South Africa.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) registration.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Specialized training, often associated with the South African Psychoanalytical Association.

Germany

• Psychotherapists: Licence to practise (Approbation) under the 2019 reform; the earlier route — degree plus 3,500 hours of training and a State Examination — applies only to those who began training before 2020.
  
• Counsellors: Training criteria set by VFP.
  
• Social Workers: State-approved social worker qualifications.
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: DGSF or SG membership.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, specialized training in psychiatry, state medical licensure.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Postgraduate psychoanalytic training, membership in a recognized German psychoanalytic association.

France

• Psychologists: Master's degree, registration with the Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS).
  
• Counsellors: Master's in psychology or psychotherapy, adherence to guidelines by recognized professional bodies.
  
• Social Workers: State diploma in social work.
  
• Family and Marriage Therapists: Postgraduate training, certification by recognized organizations.
  
• Psychiatrists: Medical degree, specialized training, registration with the Ordre des Médecins.
  
• Psychoanalysts: Extensive postgraduate training, often members of a psychoanalytic society such as the Société Psychanalytique de Paris.

Local-Language Degree Titles: A Decoder

Many therapists list a qualification in the language it was awarded in. The entries below decode the abbreviations and degree names a reader is most likely to meet after a practitioner’s name, and say what level each one actually sits at. They describe degrees, not licences: holding the degree and holding the right to practise are separate questions, answered in the country entries above.

Europe:

• Greece, Πτυχίο (Ptychio): Πτυχίο Ψυχολογίας, the first degree in psychology, built on 240 ECTS. Ptychio is the ordinary Greek word for a first university degree, so it stands alone after a name with no English equivalent letters. Μεταπτυχιακό (metaptychiako) denotes a postgraduate degree and διδακτορικό (didaktoriko) a doctorate.¹⁰
  
• Netherlands, drs. (doctorandus): A Dutch university master’s graduate outside law and engineering may use drs. in place of MA or MSc. Law graduates use mr. (meester) and engineering graduates ir. (ingenieur). Before the bachelor-master structure arrived in 2002 the title was conferred on passing the doctoraalexamen at the end of a single long programme. So drs. after a Dutch psychologist’s name signals a master’s-level qualification, old system or new, and never a doctorate.¹¹
  
• Norway, cand.psychol.: Candidatus or candidata psychologiae, awarded by the six-year integrated profesjonsstudiet i psykologi worth 360 credits. This is the degree that opens the application for authorisation as a psychologist in Norway. A Norwegian master i psykologi is a different and shorter award and does not carry the same standing.¹²
  
• Denmark, cand.psych.: Candidatus or candidata psychologiae, the two-year Danish kandidatuddannelse in psychology taken after a three-year bachelor. It is the academic degree behind the Danish psykolog title; authorisation is a separate step taken after it.¹³
  
• Sweden, psykologexamen and the filosofie titles: Psykologexamen is the five-year professional degree of 300 higher education credits, the qualification that leads towards working as a psychologist. Filosofie kandidatexamen (fil. kand.), filosofie magisterexamen (fil. mag.) and filosofie doktorsexamen (fil. dr.) are the general academic degrees taken with psychology as the main field. A Swedish practitioner listing only fil. kand. i psykologi holds a bachelor, not a professional psychology qualification.¹⁴
  
• Finland, PsK and PsM: Psykologian kandidaatti (PsK) is the 180-credit bachelor and psykologian maisteri (PsM) the 150-credit master, about 5.5 years in total including a required period of supervised practice. Filosofian maisteri (FM) is a master taken in another faculty with psychology as a major and is not the same route.¹⁵
  
• Germany, Dipl.-Psych. (Diplom-Psychologe or Diplom-Psychologin): The pre-Bologna German university degree in psychology, at master’s level. New enrolments ended between roughly 2008 and 2013 as universities moved to B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Psychologie, and existing Diplom awards remain fully valid. An older German psychologist listing Dipl.-Psych. is showing a completed university degree, not an abbreviated diploma course.¹⁶
  
• Switzerland, lic. phil. (Lizentiat): Licentiatus or licentiata philosophiae, the degree awarded by Swiss philosophical faculties before Switzerland moved to the Bologna structure from 2001. Swiss higher education policy treats the old licentiate and diploma awards as equivalent to a master’s, and holders may use the master’s title in place of the old one.¹⁷
  
• Austria, Mag. (Magister or Magistra): The Austrian degree at master’s level, written Mag. for men and Mag.a for women, progressively replaced by Master from 2006 as the Diplom programmes were wound down. Bakkalaureat was the short-lived Austrian name for the bachelor before the English terms were adopted.¹⁸
  
• Italy, Laurea Triennale and Laurea Magistrale: The three-year first degree in psychological sciences and techniques falls in class L-24; the two-year second degree in psychology falls in class LM-51. Under Law 163 of 8 November 2021 and Interministerial Decree 654 of 5 July 2022 the LM-51 is a laurea abilitante, so its final examination is itself the qualifying examination for the profession of psychologist. Dott. or Dott.ssa is the courtesy title an Italian graduate uses and is not a doctorate; the doctorate is the Dottorato di Ricerca.¹⁹
  
• Spain, Grado and Licenciatura: Grado en Psicología is the current four-year first degree. Licenciatura en Psicología is the longer pre-Bologna degree it replaced, and a 2015 Council of Ministers decision published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado placed the Licenciado en Psicología title at level 3 of the Spanish higher education qualifications framework, the master’s level. An older Spanish licenciatura therefore sits above, not below, the modern grado.²⁰
  
• Portugal, Licenciatura, Mestrado, Doutoramento: The three cycles are the licenciatura of 180 ECTS over three years, the mestrado of 120 ECTS over two, and the doutoramento. The Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses treats the licenciatura alone as insufficient for practice; the mestrado takes the minimum to five years of psychology study, followed by a supervised junior professional year.²¹
  
• Poland, Lic. (licencjat) and Mgr (magister psychologii): Licencjat is the three-year first degree and magister the master, abbreviated mgr and written before the name. The Psychologist Profession Act of 8 June 2001 sets a dyplom magistra psychologii from a Polish university, or a foreign qualification recognised as equivalent, as the education requirement for entry on the psychologists’ list. A Polish licencjat on its own does not meet it.²²
  
• Czech Republic, Bc. (bakalář) and Mgr. (magistr): Bc. is the bachelor and Mgr. the master, both written before the name. Act 96/2004 Coll. sets the qualification for a psychologist in healthcare as a completed single-subject accredited master’s programme in psychology following a single-subject accredited bachelor’s programme in psychology, plus an accredited Psychologist in Healthcare qualifying course. PhDr. is a separate rigorosum title and is not a doctorate.²³
  
• Belgium, licentiaat and licencié: The pre-Bologna Belgian degree at master’s level, since replaced by master and Master in the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking systems. The Law of 8 November 1993 protecting the title of psychologist still lists the qualifying Belgian university diplomas under their old names, among them licentiaat of doctor in de psychologische wetenschappen and licentiaat of doctor in de toegepaste psychologie, which is why an established Belgian psychologist may still show lic. rather than a master.²⁴
  
• Romania, Licență and Master: Licență is the first degree and master the second. The Colegiul Psihologilor din România recognises accredited programe universitare de licență în psihologie and accredited programe de studii universitare de master în psihologie as the professional formation routes, and requires a recognised master in psychology, or a doctorate in psychology, for the specialist grade of the free-practice certificate. Licență names a degree and does not by itself mean a licence to practise.²⁵
  
• Turkey, Lisans, Yüksek Lisans, Doktora: Lisans is the four-year first degree, yüksek lisans the master and doktora the doctorate, under the framework set by the Council of Higher Education (Yükseköğretim Kurulu, YÖK). Lisans on its own means a bachelor and should not be read as a licence to practise.²⁶

Latin America:

• Licenciatura and Licenciado or Licenciada (Lic.): The standard first professional degree in psychology across Spanish-speaking Latin America, usually four to five years, abbreviated Lic., Ldo./Lda. or Lcdo./Lcda. and written Lic. Psic. where the field is named. Maestría or magíster follows it, abbreviated Mtr., Mag. or Mgtr., and doctorado is the doctorate, abbreviated Dr. or Dra. The sequence is not identical everywhere: in Peru the grado de bachiller is awarded first, and the título profesional de Licenciado en Psicología is a further step requiring a thesis or a trabajo de suficiencia profesional.²⁷
  
• Brazil, Bacharel, Licenciado and Psicólogo: Brazilian usage differs from the Spanish-speaking pattern and the difference matters. The founding psychology legislation created three distinct courses with three distinct diplomas: Bacharel em Psicologia, Licenciado em Psicologia and Psicólogo. Licenciado in Brazil marks a teaching qualification, not the Spanish-American licenciatura, and the bacharel diploma carried the right to teach psychology at secondary level. Read a Brazilian practitioner’s standing from the psicólogo qualification and the Conselho Regional de Psicologia registration, not from a licenciado title.²⁸

Asia:

• Indonesia, S.Psi and M.Psi: Sarjana Psikologi (S.Psi.) is the four-year undergraduate degree, written after the name. Magister Psikologi (M.Psi.) is the master. S.Psi. is an academic degree only and does not by itself authorise practice as a psychologist; the professional route runs through the psychology profession programme regulated under Permendikbudristek 43 of 2023.²⁹
  
• Japan, 学士, 修士, 博士: Gakushi (学士) is the bachelor, shushi (修士) the master and hakase (博士) the doctorate. Under Japan’s Degree Regulations the awarding university appends its own field name in brackets, which is why Japanese psychology degrees appear in many forms: 学士(心理学) gakushi (shinrigaku) for psychology, 学士(臨床心理学) gakushi (rinsho shinrigaku) for clinical psychology, 修士(臨床心理学) shushi (rinsho shinrigaku) at master’s level. The bracketed variation is a naming convention, not a difference in level.³⁰
  
• South Korea, 학사, 석사, 박사: Haksa (학사) is the bachelor, seoksa (석사) the master and baksa (박사) the doctorate. A psychology degree is written with the field first, for example 심리학 학사 (simnihak haksa), bachelor of psychology.³¹
  
• China, 学士, 硕士, 博士: Xueshi (学士) is the bachelor, shuoshi (硕士) the master and boshi (博士) the doctorate, the three levels set by national degree law and awarded within a listed discipline category. A Chinese psychology degree therefore reads 心理学学士 (xinlixue xueshi) and upwards. 博士 is a research doctorate and should not be read as an American PsyD.³²
  
• Taiwan, 學士, 碩士, 博士: The same three levels in traditional characters, with 副學士 (associate degree) below them, under Taiwan’s Degree Conferral Act. Universities set their own Chinese and English degree names, which is why Taiwanese awards appear as 心理學碩士 (master of psychology), 臨床心理碩士 (master of clinical psychology) and 諮商心理碩士 (master of counselling psychology).³³
  
• Vietnam, cử nhân, thạc sĩ, tiến sĩ: Bằng cử nhân is the bachelor certificate, bằng thạc sĩ the master and bằng tiến sĩ the doctorate, the three higher education awards named in Article 15 of Decree 99/2019/ND-CP and set at levels 6, 7 and 8 of the Vietnamese qualifications framework. A psychology graduate holds Cử nhân Tâm lý học.³⁴
  
• Philippines, RPsy and RPm: Not degrees but registration titles under the Philippine Psychology Act of 2009 (Republic Act 10029). RPsy marks a Registered Psychologist, which requires at least a master’s degree in psychology; RPm marks a Registered Psychometrician, which requires a bachelor’s degree and works under a psychologist’s supervision. Both are issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology through the Professional Regulation Commission.³⁵

Conclusion

This glossary covers a wide range of mental health credentials and accreditors globally. From clinical psychologists to psychoanalysts, understanding the qualifications and regulating bodies ensures that you can make informed decisions when choosing a mental health professional, no matter where you are.

References

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