Is a Psychologist a Therapist?
America’s mental health community is full of professionals who perform comparable and complimentary services while working under different titles, licenses, and levels of professional authority. Most people aren’t too concerned about these distinctions when seeking help and often use professional titles interchangeably. You’ll find this a lot when talking about therapists and psychologists.
When you’re planning a career in psychology, though, understanding those distinctions is vitally important.
So what are the differences? Is a psychologist a therapist? Is a therapist a psychologist? And if they are different, what steps do you have to take to become one or the other? Simply put, all licensed psychologists are therapists, but not all therapists are psychologists.
Here’s what you need to know about the similarities and differences between psychologists and therapists as you plot your career path.
What Is the Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychologist? Definitions and Requirements
In many ways, therapists and psychologists are very similar as far as clients are concerned. They can both help people struggling with behavioral, emotional, and mental health issues using various forms of talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Legally speaking, though, psychologists and therapists refer to different types of professionals with different levels of training and professional authority.
Psychologist is a Title With a Very Specific Legal Definition and Requirements
Psychologist is a legally-protected title. It refers to a professional who has an American Psychological Association (APA)-approved PhD or PsyD and a state-issued license to practice.
If you don’t have both a doctorate degree and a psychologist license, you can’t legally present yourself as a psychologist. Meeting both of these requirements is a rigorous process.
Earning a doctorate typically takes four years or more. In that time, you’ll of course take classes, but what really defines the experience comes down to two things: the hands-on training you’ll receive and the dissertation you’ll complete.
Practicums and Internships
Whether you choose a PsyD or PhD program, you’ll complete both a practicum and an internship. Practicums are short-term, part-time, and supervised meaning you’ll work closely with a fully-licensed professional and build your skills.
During your internship, you’ll still report to a supervisor, but you’ll work much more independently with clients and/or on your own research. While some schools allow students to complete their internships on a part-time basis, they’re usually full-time and completed during students’ last year of study.
Dissertations
The last step to earning your doctorate is completing a dissertation, the most nerve-wracking part of earning a doctorate. A dissertation is a large, long-term, independent, and original research project. You’ll start working on it in your first or second year.
Along with actually conducting your research, you’ll also write a painstakingly detailed academic paper on what you’ve done. Expect your paper to be anywhere from 100 to 300 pages long.
Finally, you’ll give a presentation about your work in a one-to-two-hour-long session called a dissertation defense. Towards the end, you’ll field questions from a board of expert faculty members. If they feel your work meets their rigorous standards, congratulations — you just earned your doctorate.
Earning Your Psychologist License
After graduation, you’ll need to register with your state’s board of psychology and complete a certain number of supervised work hours under the guidance of a fully-licensed professional. Exact time varies by state, but it generally takes one to two years to fulfill this requirement.
And finally, you’ll have to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). In every state, you’ll have to take EPPP Part 1, a test made up of 225 multiple-choice questions. The ASPPB recommends future psychologists take this exam as soon as possible after graduation.
Some states require psychologists to also take EPPP Part 2. This portion includes multiple choice, scenario-based, and other types of questions that test how well candidates can apply their knowledge to practice. The ASPBB plans to make EPPP Part 2 mandatory for all states in 2026.
Therapist is a Title That Can Refer To Many Types of Mental Health Professionals
The title of therapist is less defined. Instead of being linked to one specific profession, the term therapist can refer to any number of different mental health professionals — clinical social workers, addiction counselors, clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, and more.
But even though the term therapist is relatively broad, that doesn’t mean just anyone can call themself a therapist or perform therapy with clients.
Despite their different titles and duties, professionals who work under the title of therapist generally have two things in common: a master’s degree and a license to administer mental health services. However, there are some big differences between meeting these requirements and meeting the requirements to become a psychologist.
Earning a Master’s Degree
To become a psychologist, you have to complete a PhD or PsyD program. But if you want to be a therapist, you have many more options. You can earn a Master of Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, or any number of other mental health-focused degrees.
While advanced, masters programs aren’t quite as rigorous as PsyD and PhD programs because:
- They’re shorter. As a full-time student, you can complete just about any master’s program in two years or less.
- They don’t require dissertations. The vast majority of master’s programs require students to complete capstone projects which typically involve conducting research to solve or investigate a current issue. While you’ll have to present your work, you won’t have to go through the rigorous defense process doctorate students do.
- They only require practicums. Unlike PhD and PsyD programs, master’s programs only require part-time practicums, not internships. Depending on the program, you’ll spend two or three semesters working part-time under supervision.
Earning Your Therapist License
The licensing process for therapists is extremely similar to that of psychologists. After earning your master’s, you’ll go through a year or two of supervised work experience and take an exam administered through your state’s licensing board.
However, the specifics of this process will depend entirely upon what type of license you pursue.
For example, if you want to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), you’ll work with various at-risk groups during your supervised work experience and ultimately have to pass the Association of Social Work Boards’ Clinical Exam.
On the other hand, if you want to focus more on one-on-one counseling, you’d work with your state’s board of counseling or mental health, practice your skills under a fully-licensed counselor, and pass an exam administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
Scope of Practice: Differences in Responsibilities Between Therapists and Psychologists
As you might imagine, because therapists and psychologists are held to different training and educational standards, there are some important differences between what they do. Their duties often overlap, but that’s not always the case.
Prescriptive Authority
The biggest difference between therapists and psychologists is prescriptive authority. Therapists aren’t allowed to prescribe medications in any state. Psychologists typically can’t, but that’s starting to change.
Due to America’s widespread issues with both mental health and mental healthcare access, some states have granted psychologists prescriptive authority.
According to the American Psychological Association, New Mexico granted psychologists prescription authority in 2002. Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho followed suit. And with Colorado entering the fray in 2023, the movement is picking up steam.
However, if you live in one of these states, you won’t be granted prescriptive authority right away. Psychologists must go through training and pass a national psychopharmacology exam before gaining that right.
Diagnosis and Approach to Care
When it comes to how psychologists and therapists treat patients, there are a lot of similarities. They can both diagnose and work with patients one-on-one or in group settings. Their approach to these duties, however, differs.
Because psychologists go through such extensive training, they’re typically more prepared than their therapist colleagues to diagnose and treat complex mental health disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And due to their education on the more academic side of psychology, they can also administer intricate neuropsychological tests that measure everything from IQ to cognitive function.
Masters-prepared therapists aren’t trained to carry out such tests. Instead, they focus more on providing treatment through talk or cognitive-behavioral therapy. They also specialize in much more specific areas than psychologists.
For example, marriage and family therapists are trained to help families and individuals through trauma, depression, anxiety, and issues that arise in relationships. But if a client also needs help with borderline personality disorder, they’d likely refer them to a psychologist for higher-level specialty care.
Are All Psychologists Therapists?
Due to their extensive education, all licensed psychologists can be therapists, but not all of them take that path. They can also serve in non-therapy positions, as well.
Many psychologists focus on conducting research, developing psychological measuring tools, educating new professionals, or performing other behind-the-scenes duties. This is especially true of psychologists who pursue PhDs instead of PsyDs and focus on the theoretical side of the field.
However, even research-focused psychologists must typically maintain their licenses to practice. Without their licenses, they can’t legally call themselves psychologists or conduct research that involves diagnosing or treating clients.
Therapist vs. Psychologist Salaries
Because being a psychologist requires more training and education than being a therapist, psychologist salaries are higher on average. As of May 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median wage for psychologists in America is $92,740. The highest-earning psychologists make around $151,880 and up.
For therapists, salary expectations vary depending on exact title and specialty. Marriage and family therapists make a median income of $58,510 with the top-earning professionals making closer to $104,710. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (who all fall under the therapist umbrella) have a median salary of $53,710. Those at the top make around $89,920.
While the gap between psychologist vs. therapist salaries varies between states, this data underscores an important fact — that even though a psychologist is a therapist in the practical sense, their expertise is often highly valuable to both employers and clients.
But whether you’re just now planning your own career in psychology or are considering your next move, earning a PhD in Psychology or a PsyD isn’t just a way to increase your earning potential. It’s a way to learn how to help more people in more ways.
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Projections Central salary and employment figures for psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.