Different Types of Providers for Mental Health Care

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Key Points

There are different kinds of healthcare professionals with special training in mental health. Sometimes it can be confusing to know who to ask for help.
For many people, their Primary Care Clinician is a good place to start.
Your Boulder Care Team is committed to helping you connect with the right type of mental health professional based on your specific needs, though this is not a requirement for medication or other care.

Mental Health Providers

There are many different kinds of mental health services. Knowing who to ask for help can be really confusing. Your Boulder Care Team can help you decide what the best approach might be, and help you find resources in your local community.

Different Provider Types and Their Role(s) in Mental Health

Primary Care Clinician: Some people don’t think of their primary care clinician (such as a nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, or doctor) for mental health, but primary care is a good place to start if you are feeling depressed or anxious. They can make a diagnosis and prescribe medications if you both think that would be helpful.

Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with special training in diagnosing and managing mental health conditions. They are especially skilled in prescribing medications for more complicated conditions like some forms of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. In their visits, they usually want to know if your symptoms are getting better or worse and any medication side effects.

Someone might also refer you to a psychiatrist if you’ve already tried different kinds of treatments that usually help people but haven’t helped you.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner: A psychiatric nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse with special training in diagnosing and managing mental health conditions. Like a psychiatrist, they help find medications (or combinations of medications) to help with your symptoms.

In some primary care offices, there are psychiatric nurse practitioners on staff, so your primary care clinician might recommend this option. Sometimes psychiatric nurse practitioners also do counseling or talk therapy with individuals or in groups.

Counselor/Therapist/Psychologist: These terms are often used interchangeably. Generally, the word someone uses might depend on their training. For example, someone with a Master’s degree in Counseling may call themselves a counselor and someone with a Master’s degree in Social Work might refer to themselves as a Therapist or Case Manager. A psychologist is someone with a doctorate degree (5 more years of school after a Master’s) to get additional training in talk therapy.

No matter which specific title they use, people who work in these fields are trained to diagnose mental health conditions and develop treatment plans. Their treatment plans usually focus on some type of talk therapy that may take place one-on-one or in a small group. There are different types of talk therapy that are helpful for different people. You can find out more about those in our article on counseling referrals.

Certified or Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC/LADC): CADCs and LADCs are people who have special training in working with people with substance use disorders. Many have lived experience with substance use themselves. They often work in outpatient treatment centers, but may practice in their own office as well.

Not everyone with expertise in substance use disorders will also have a CADC or LADC. That’s why it’s important to ask someone that you might work with about their specialties (see Questions to Ask a Counselor).

Peer Support

People can get support from peers either individually or in groups.

Individual peer support: Here at Boulder, for example, you can work one-on-one with your Peer Recovery Specialist—someone with lived experience who will work with you to understand your unique goals and challenges, and be here to support you every step of the way. You may also have access to peer coaches and other 1:1 peer support in your local community through a recovery cafe or other organization.

Peer support groups are led by someone with lived experience with substance use disorders and/or mental health concerns depending on the focus of the group. Peer support groups help connect you with other people who know what you are going through. Peer support groups are also a good way to share what you have learned on your wellness journey with others.

Peer groups you might already be familiar with include 12-Step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Other groups you might be familiar with include SMART Recovery and Refuge Recovery.

There are also peer support groups for circumstances like caring for a loved one, losing someone to suicide, or physical conditions like cancer. In many places, peer support is also available for friends, families, and loved ones of people with substance use disorders and/or mental health concerns.

Sometimes peer groups might be led by someone with mental health training or other special training. Peer support groups are different from therapy groups. If you’re not sure which is the right thing for you, your Boulder Care Team can help! Your Boulder Peer Coach can help connect you with peer support groups in your area.

You can check out our list of online peer support groups.

Mutual Aid Groups

Mutual aid groups are also people helping one another, but they’re a bit more broad. Mutual aid groups are built on the idea that we need each other to survive and that everyone has something they can contribute to help the group. Through mutual aid groups, people can find and access specific resources for everyday needs like housing, transportation to medical appointments, food, or basic hygiene supplies. Mutual aid groups are usually easier to find when things are going wrong—like a natural disaster or the coronavirus pandemic. Some mutual aid groups also engage in political action like protests.

To find a mutual aid group near you, a good strategy would be to search the Internet or social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter for “mutual aid group in” your town or region. For example “mutual aid groups Portland, OR” or “mutual aid groups King County, WA.” Let someone on your Boulder Care Team know if you need help finding mutual aid resources near you.

Working Together

In addition to your Boulder Care Team, you might work with a counselor, see someone for medications for your mood, attend groups, or do all three depending on your needs. For many people, a combination works best. If you are working with more than one healthcare professional, they might want to talk to each other (with your permission) about how you are doing.

At Boulder, we protect your privacy and medical records, and can only share information if you specifically give us permission to do so. Ask your Boulder Care Advocate if you want your Boulder team to work with someone else supporting your wellness goals.

Summary

There are different kinds of mental health providers you can choose to see, depending on whether you need medication, counseling, and/or peer support. For many people, a combination of these works best. If you’re interested in support for mental health, it’s important to find a person or group that’s right for you. That might mean they have the right experience or skills for your unique needs and that you feel comfortable with them. Sometimes that means trying more than one to find the best fit for you. Your Boulder Care Team can help.

Resources

Therapy Den has more detailed information about types of therapy. Below the search bar you can filter by “specialties” to learn more about different specific types of therapy. You can filter by “issues” to learn more about different reasons people get therapy.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has services in more than 600 centers throughout the United States. Many centers offer peer support groups as well as education and support for loved ones.