Counselor vs Therapist vs Psychologist
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A counselor, a therapist, and a psychologist walk into a bar. How do you tell them apart?
One way is to shout out your problem and watch how they respond. The counselor will listen, ask you more about yourself, and help you plan the next step. The therapist may offer massage, music, or exercise to improve your situation and yourself. The psychologist will observe and discern what complex mix of social and medical factors caused all three of you to walk into this hypothetical bar in the first place.
If only it were that easy.
Counselors, therapists, and psychologists are committed to improving people’s mental health, but they go about it differently. Broadly speaking, counselors are grouped by the population they serve, while therapists are grouped by the medium in which they practice. Medically-minded psychologists are grouped by the social system in which they specialize. But there’s more to it than that, as each profession has strict educational and experiential requirements that vary from state to state—and vary further by one’s specialization.
There is a lot of overlap between counselors, therapists, and psychologists. But don’t let it drive you crazy. To see the differences and similarities among these three professions, check out our side-by-side comparison chart below.
| Counselor | Therapist | Psychologist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | According to the American Counseling Association, a counselor offers a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. While there are several sub-disciplines of counseling, which are based around specific populations, professional titles are largely regulated to vet practitioners for competency. | “Therapist” is an umbrella term that encompasses several different roles. In some states, such as California, it’s a protected title that refers to a trained and licensed mental health professional who works in a specific context, and with a specific medium. Where it is not a legally protected title, the term therapist can extend to those who do not meet strict licensure and educational requirements; but every domain of therapy is regulated in at least one state. | According to the American Psychological Association, practicing psychologists are highly trained, licensed professionals who are qualified to perform counseling, psychotherapy, research, and the treatment of mental disorders in a variety of social settings. However, some domain-specific specialties (e.g., forensic psychology, and sports psychology) do not conform to the definitions and requirements of other psychologists. |
| Types |
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| How Long Does It Take? | To become a licensed counselor, one will need a bachelor’s degree (four years), a master’s degree (two to three years), and a certain amount of supervised experience (varies). On average, it takes between six to nine years to become a professional counselor. | The path to a career as a therapist will vary, depending upon the area in which one chooses to practice. For states where licensure and educational requirements are in place, it’s typical for therapists to have both a bachelor’s degree (four years), a master’s degree (two to three years), and a certain amount of supervised experience (varies). On average, it takes between six to nine years to become a professional therapist. | The educational and licensure requirements for psychologists are domain-specific. A sports psychologist, for example, may need only a bachelor’s and a master’s degree (six to seven years), while a clinical psychologist will need a doctoral degree (eight to 12 years), an internship, and supervised experience (one to two years). It can therefore take anywhere between six and 14 years to become a professional psychologist. |
| Educational Accreditation | For counseling programs, the two primary accreditation authorities are the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC). Other more domain-specific accrediting agencies include:
| As an umbrella term, there’s no overarching accreditation authority for therapist programs. More domain-specific accrediting agencies include:
| The American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) is the national accrediting authority for professional education and training in psychology, but it only accredits institutions at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. Master’s programs in psychology may be accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC). Additional resources can be found at the APA’s Office of Precollege and Undergraduate Education and the APA’s Office of Graduate and Postgraduate Education and Training. Other region-specific and domain-agnostic accreditation authorities for all three types of education (counseling, therapy, psychology) include:
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| Degree Programs |
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| Supervised Hour Requirements | Requirements vary by state, but counselors often need between 2,000 and 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience to earn state licensure, according to the BLS (2024). | Supervised experience requirements for therapists vary widely based on location and domain. In California, for example, becoming a marriage and family therapist requires 3,000 hours of supervised experience, while becoming a massage therapist requires only 500 to 1,000 hours of instruction. | Supervised experience requirements for psychologists will vary by state, from 1,500 hours (California) to 6,000 hours (Michigan). The American Psychological Association recommends 2,000 hours during an internship and 2,000 hours during a postdoc. |
| Licensing & Certification | Counselors will need to be licensed by the state in which they choose to practice, and the American Counseling Association maintains a database of each state licensing entity, and all requirements have been detailed on the licensed mental health counseling (LMHC) licensure and career page. All states require a relevant master’s degree and some amount of supervised fieldwork. Counselors may also choose to earn domain-specific certifications, such as:
| In states where the therapist is a protected title, therapists will need to be state-licensed or certified in order to practice. Eligibility often includes a master’s degree and a certain amount of supervised fieldwork, but requirements will vary by location and domain. The following agencies offer registration, certification, and other credentialing information:
| Most states require practicing psychologists to be licensed. Licensing laws will vary from state to state, and specialty to specialty. For clinical and counseling psychologists, eligibility requirements typically include a doctoral degree, an internship, and one to two years of supervised experience. Specific state requirements can be found at the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). Other domain-specific and voluntary certification information can be found at:
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| Typical Responsibilities | While it will vary depending upon the population served, some typical responsibilities for counselors may include:
| While it will vary depending upon one’s specialty, some typical responsibilities for therapists may include:
| While it will vary depending upon one’s specialty, the BLS lists some of the typical responsibilities for psychologists as follows:
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| Salary | The average salary for a counselor will depend upon their domain, experience, and geographic location. According to the latest BLS (May 2023) data:
| The average salary for a therapist will depend upon their domain, experience, and geographic location. According to the latest BLS (May 2023) data:
| The average salary for a psychologist will depend upon their domain, experience, and geographic location. According to the latest BLS data, the median annual wage for psychologists was $92,740 in May 2023, with the top ten percent earning over $151,880 per year. |
| The Bottom Line | Counselors are mental health professionals who are split into domains based on the population they serve. | Therapists are mental health professionals who are split into domains based on the method of psychotherapy they practice. | Psychologists are advanced mental health professionals who are split into domains based on the social system they specialize in. |
Matt Zbrog
WriterMatt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2020, he’s written extensively about how counselors and other behavioral health professionals are working to address the nation’s mental health and substance use crises, with a particular focus on community-driven and interdisciplinary approaches. His articles have included detailed interviews with leaders and subject matter experts from the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American Mental Health Counselor Association (AMHCA), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).