It really depends on your diagnosis and what you are in therapy for. The higher degrees like psy d, phd or md have extensive clinical experience, can do psychological testing and can diagnose. Social workers and counselors do straight up therapy/ counseling and that is where their expertise is. For counseling the degree matters very little as their training is similar. It depends heavily on the individual not the degree at that point. But for the record, psychiatrists receive little or no training in counseling therapy. So many are lacking in that area and will refer patients out.