Guides
What LCSW and LICSW mean
Therapists collect a lot of letters. Here’s what mine mean, and what they tell you about how I was trained.
The practical side
If you’ve been browsing therapist profiles, you’ve probably seen a small alphabet after each name: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, PsyD and more. They’re not decorative—each one tells you what kind of license someone holds, and therefore what training they’ve completed and who oversees their practice.
My credentials are LCSW (California) and LICSW (Massachusetts). Here’s what that means, and why it matters for working together.
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker—the license I hold in California. Clinical social workers are licensed to provide psychotherapy. The path to licensure generally involves a master’s degree in social work, a period of supervised clinical experience after graduating, and passing licensing exams.
My master’s is from Boston University School of Social Work, with a clinical focus, and my undergraduate degrees in cognitive science and sociology are from UC Santa Cruz. My full training is listed on the Meet Lauren page.
LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
LICSW stands for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, the clinical social work license I hold in Massachusetts. States use slightly different names for similar licenses, and in Massachusetts “independent” signals licensure to practice clinical social work on your own rather than under supervision.
The practical upshot for you is simple. Because I’m licensed in both states, I can work with you by video whenever you’re physically located in California or Massachusetts at the time of our session. You can read more about each on my California and Massachusetts pages.
What a social work background brings
Social work training tends to look at a person in context—relationships, family, culture, community and circumstances, not just what’s happening inside your head. That fits how I think about therapy. Shame, longing, grief and the wish to belong are close to universal, but your culture, family system, body and circumstances make your version of them entirely your own.
Clinical social workers practice in many settings, from hospitals and schools to private practice. In my case, it’s a solo, fully online practice for adults and couples, drawing on Internal Family Systems, psychodynamic and attachment theory, and mindfulness.
How it compares with other licenses
You’ll see a few other license types as you search. Here’s a rough guide:
- LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, with training centered on relationships and family systems.
- LPCC or LMHC: professional counselor licenses, with names that vary by state.
- Psychologist (PhD or PsyD): doctoral-level training, often including psychological testing.
- Psychiatrist (MD or DO): a medical doctor who can prescribe medication.
What the letters can and can’t tell you
Therapists with any of these licenses can be excellent. The letters tell you about training and oversight, but they won’t tell you whether someone is the right fit—that you’ll only learn by talking to them. Social workers, including me, don’t prescribe medication, so if that becomes part of the picture, it happens alongside therapy with a medical provider.
Every state licensing board has a public lookup where you can confirm that a therapist’s license is active. It only takes a minute, and it’s a reasonable thing to do before working with anyone, me included.
If you have questions about my training or how I work, you’re welcome to ask them on a free 15-minute consultation. My FAQ covers licensing and the practical details, too.
A few common questions
Is an LCSW a real therapist?
Yes. Licensed clinical social workers are trained and licensed to provide psychotherapy. The title is different from “psychologist” or “counselor,” but the work in the room can look very similar.
Can you see me if I live in another state?
I can only work with you when you’re physically located in California or Massachusetts at the time of the session, because those are the states where I’m licensed. What counts is where you are during the session itself.
Do clinical social workers diagnose?
Licensed clinical social workers can diagnose mental health conditions. In my practice, a diagnosis is needed if you’d like a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement, and we can talk about what that means before you decide.