The best thing about being a therapist is helping people. It makes my day when I can help relatively healthy person with a big challenge: can't fly, can't quit smoking, feels anxious on stage. It's also nice when you're playing poker and your opponents learn that you're a "shrink." An added bonus is that scientologists won't bother you if you just say "I'm a psychologist" when they approach you on Hollywood Boulevard.

But one of the worst things about being a therapist is that it's difficult for most people to tell one type of therapist from another. After all, everyone knows what a lawyer or a chef does. Most people can tell a podiatrist from a neurologist. But a psychotherapist? Do they prescribe medication? Wait, is that like a psychologist?

To clear up the confusion, I've written a quick guide to the various therapist designations in the State of California and some common variations.

No, I don't prescribe medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who went to medical school, then specialized in psychology. A psychiatrist can prescribe medication, provide elctro-convulsive therapy, and perform surgery (depending upon their training, of course). A psychiatrist will often have an M.D. after their name. I never went to medical school, so I'm not a psychiatrist. Actually, there is a John J. Murphy, M.D. right in Beverly Hills who is a psychiatrist. We sometimes get each other's mail.

Typically, a psychologist is someone who received a master's degree in psychology and then got their Ph.D in the field of psychology. That's me.

There are two types of non-medical doctorate programs relating to psychologists. A Ph.D. is the traditional program where you receive clinical training and learn how to do research. Depending upon your degree, you may have lots of clinical training or very little. For example, someone who is a social psychologist may spend all of their time in grad school doing research. A few years ago, several universities decided to offer a Psy.D., which is like a Ph.D. except there is very little research and a much more clinical focus. Someone entering a doctorate program with a desire to only do therapy with no interest in researching might go for the Psy.D. A Ph.D. is short for Doctorate in Philosophy. A Psy.D. is short for Doctorate in Psychology. They are both called "doctors." I, myself, went for the Ph.D. because of my research ambitions. I plan to teach, practice, and research. It helps if you have a Ph.D. for all three.

Once you have a Ph.D. or Psy.D. you can then become a licensed practitioner. Let's take law and becoming a lawyer as an analogy. Once someone graduates from law school, they're a lawyer. But to practice law he or she will still have to pass the state bar exam. Likewise, as soon as I passed my dissertation in grad school, I was Dr. Murphy. However, to be able to practice as a therapist, I was required to get my license which involves 3,000 hours of supervision, passing the EPPP and the CPSE, and taking state-mandated courses. Technically, only a licensed psychologist can call him or herself a psychologist in the state of California. I'm not really sure why. Most people with a PsyD. or Ph.D. in the field of psychology will call themselves psychologists with or without a license to actually practice psychology.

Being a licensed psychologist with a PhD allows me to help people in a variety of ways, such as apply psychological techniques in a professional setting. It's also far easier to take insurance, though I don't, and serve as an expert witness, which I try to avoid when I can. There are also more responsibilities, such as being mandated to report abuse and having confidentiality regulations. See the privacy policy for more details.

MFT stands for Marriage & Family Therapist. There is a master's program in marriage & family therapy. Once you have that degree (or a doctorate, in certain conditions), you can apply to become a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). So unlike a psychologist, you don't have to have a doctorate. You do have to become licensed, which involves a separate series of exams and supervision hours (I believe about 3,000). MFT's are typically referred to as psychotherapists instead of psychologists. As with licensed psychologists, MFT's are regulated by the state.

MFT's are professionals who specialize in- you guessed it: Marriage and Family issues, ranging from couples therapy to working with kids.

A LCSW stands for "licensed clinical social worker." Like an MFT, LCSWs have a masters and are licensed/regulated by the state. Both LCSW's and MFT's are mandated reporters. Both types are often hired by the state for similar functions. But while an MFT will focus mostly on clinical issues, LCSW's are more focused on administrative duties. You might find an MFT working with a family to cope with a recent divorce. You might find a LCSW making a decision about whether to remove a child from an abusive parent.

A hypnotist is someone who hypnotizes people. A hypnotist is often hired to hypnotize a group or individuals for educational or entertainment purposes. A hypnotherapist uses hypnosis to help people, for example to relax before an exam, or quit smoking, or fall asleep faster. In graduate school, I was both a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist. You don't need any formal training to fill either role, though it helps. I received my training through HTI in Corte Madera, California. A hypnotherapist is not regulated by the state and in fact most anyone can call themselves a hypnotist or hypnotherapist. There are quite a few "schools" that will give you a hypnosis certificate or have you become a member of their hypnosis organization with the sole criteria being that your check clears. Most hypnotists I know have at least some formal training.

Hypnotists don't need to follow the same privacy/confidentiality protocols as a psychologist (i.e. HIPPA) and are not a mandated reporter.

Now keep in mind that many psychiatrists, psychologists, and even a few MFT's will use hypnosis to help their clients. That's what I do, in conjunction with other types of therapy.

To summarize:
I am: a licensed psychologist, a hypnotist, and a hypnotherapist.
I am not: a psychiatrist, marriage-family therapist, or a licensed clinical social worker.
I'm regulated by: the California Board of Psychology
I'm a member of: the American Psychological Association

Now you know a little bit more about the type of therapy I offer. To learn more about the techniques I employ, click on some of the links on your left. To get in touch with me, click here.