I'm one of those people who doesn't believe that PhD psychologist, MD psychiatrist, LCMSW or Mental Health Counselor is the deciding factor of who is the best trained or most skilled therapist. For me, it really is the personal connection and degree of confidence and openness of the person I meet with. I've "tried out" all the different degrees
and the one's I ended up working well with happened on the basis of their personality, not their degree.
Here in the U.S. an MSW degree is not simply a master's level social worker who is trained to work in welfare or social services. The individuals who are LCSW (Licensed CLINICAL Social Workers) are in a master's program that is specifically designed to address mental health issues. In other words, although they are trained in the "social work model", they are being trained to do psychotherapy. Their practicum and internships are in clinical settings. In the U.S. most social workers who work in Social Service settings (ie. Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Welfare & Adult Services) have a bachelor's degree in a human services area.
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Originally Posted by PaulaS
Itīs an important point you make, that it depends on why you seek therapy. Itīs around this I feel itīs quite hard to establish when you need a psychologist and when itīs "enough" with a psychotherapist. For me, I donīt have any psychiatrical diagnoses, in short I suffer from abandonment issues, loneliness, relationship issues with my parents, lacking support and long term unemployment.
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You have mentioned a few times that the thing you struggle with the most on a day to day basis is abandonment, loneliness and relationships. If you like to read books on mental health issues, there is a great book that addresses these issues in a very readable way. I think you might find it interesting.
The Search for the Real Self by James F. Masterson, M.D. It might help in your quest for finding the right therapist for your work.