Any prospective counselor employed/supported by the Hermosa Church of Christ will be a Christian counselor who will be expected to be a faithful member of our congregation. There are many types of Christian counselors that could have different levels of education, training, and credentials. The following are brief summaries of four types of counselors.

Pastoral Counselor
Unlike professionals working in the fields of clinical counseling or psychology, Pastoral Counselors are not required to obtain a license, in fact, few states have a governing body that regulates pastoral counselors. Many pastoral counselors will work to meet the same educational and training standards that a clinical counselor would to earn and maintain their license with an added religious component.

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) & Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)
A mental health counselor's career path is explicitly geared toward clinical assessment, treatment, and psychotherapy. Mental health counselors receive training in mental health issues, psychotherapy, and clinical intervention services. Those pursuing counseling careers as licensed mental health counselors must complete a master's program, internship, and post-graduate supervision hours. They are also required to pass a state licensing exam.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Marriage and family therapists focus on relationship, marital, and family conflicts related to mental health. They often work with married couples, parents, children, siblings, and other families to address family dynamics and tackle interpersonal issues, such as divorce, communication, and parenting. The training of a marriage and family therapist is similar to other mental health professionals, requiring a master's level education in mental health and clinical supervision hours, followed by a clinical exam.

Clinical Psychologists (Ph.D. Or PsyD)
A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional who has received a doctoral degree. However, they cannot prescribe medication. Like other mental health professionals, such as grief counselors and rehabilitation counselors, clinical psychologists are trained in assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic practice. They can offer different types of therapy support and counseling as school counselor or other roles. However, they may have more experience in a particular specialty and the mental health field overall. They may charge more for their services due to this experience.