There are various credentials that allow a professional to provide mental health therapy, with differences in education and training.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) are both licensed professionals qualified to offer mental health therapy.

✔ LCSWs: The social work framework for mental health therapy considers not only the individual client’s emotional and psychological well-being, but also the social and environmental factors that impact their life. This approach helps address the broader context of a client’s struggles and resilience.
✔ LMHCs: The counseling framework is a holistic approach that considers the client’s mental health in context. It focuses on the client’s strengths and wellness, identifying stressors and their level of functioning, and aims to preserve or restore their mental health.

Both LCSWs and LMHCs must hold a Master’s degree in their relevant field and meet state licensure requirements, including examinations, clinical training, and supervised clinical experience.

At Bloom, we have a team of both LCSWs and LMHCs:

• Karen Moore, Alyssa Hickey, and Elizabeth Rubin are our LCSWs.

• Melissa Lichtenberger and Sydney Reese are our LMHCs.

Licensed eligible therapists or pre-licensed therapists are professionals actively working toward obtaining their full therapist credentials. Depending on their Master's degree, they hold different titles while they pursue licensure.

• Raquel Rojas is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern (IMT).

IMTs are individuals working toward the credential of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). IMTs must have a Master’s degree from an accredited marriage and family therapy program, including specific graduate-level coursework and practicum hours. They are also required to gain clinical experience and engage in weekly qualified supervision.

When seeking help for mental health or eating disorder concerns, it's important to consider working with a specialist—a therapist who has specific expertise and training in the area you're struggling with—rather than just any therapist.

Here's why seeing a specialist can make a significant difference in your recovery journey:

✔ Deep Knowledge and Expertise: Specialists, such as those trained in eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, or other specific mental health conditions, have a deep understanding of the nuances and complexities of these issues. They are equipped with evidence-based interventions and have experience working with individuals who face similar challenges. This means they are better able to:

• Recognize the symptoms and underlying causes of your condition.

• Provide targeted treatment plans that are tailored to your needs.

• Offer solutions and strategies that are proven to be effective for your specific struggles.

✔ Specialized Training and Certifications: Many specialists have received additional training and certifications that set them apart from general practitioners. For example, a therapist with the Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) credential is highly trained in understanding the complexities of eating disorders, including their psychological, emotional, and physical impacts. This specialized training enables them to:

• Provide more accurate diagnoses.

• Utilize interventions that are specifically designed for treating eating disorders (like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders or DBT).

• Navigate the unique challenges that come with treating eating disorders, such as body image issues and nutrition-related concerns.

✔ Understanding of Co-Occurring Disorders: Eating disorders and many mental health conditions often come with co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use. Specialists have a better understanding of how these issues interact and can treat them simultaneously in a way that is more effective than a general therapist might be able to. For example:

• A therapist trained in trauma-informed care can help you address the root causes of your eating disorder or mental health struggle.

• A specialist trained in DBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can equip you with the skills to manage difficult emotions, which is especially helpful for those with eating disorders or mood disorders.

✔ Tailored Treatment Approaches: Mental health and eating disorder treatments are not one-size-fits-all. A specialist is able to assess your specific needs and provide a personalized approach that ensures you're receiving the right treatment for your unique situation. This can include:

• In-depth assessments to understand your symptoms, triggers, and history.

• A holistic treatment plan that includes both psychotherapy and, when necessary, medical or nutritional support.

• Access to specialized resources such as support groups, nutritionists, or medical professionals who are trained to support your recovery.

✔ Better Understanding of the Challenges You Face: When you work with a specialist, they understand the complexity of your issues on a much deeper level. They know the difficulty of confronting an eating disorder or mental health condition and can provide a level of compassion and supportthat comes from understanding the full scope of what you're going through. They are:

• Better equipped to navigate the emotional ups and downs of recovery.

• More skilled in managing relapse prevention and long-term recovery strategies.

• Sensitive to the stigma and social pressures that often surround mental health or eating disorders.

✔ Faster Progress and Fewer Setbacks: Working with a specialist who understands the exact nature of your condition can help you make faster progress in your treatment. With their knowledge of evidence-based treatments and experience in managing similar cases, specialists can:

• Help you set realistic goals for your recovery.

• Identify potential setbacks early on and adjust your treatment accordingly.

• Create a safe and effective space to explore and process your feelings without feeling misunderstood or invalidated.

✔ Comfort in Understanding: Finally, specialists can offer you a sense of comfort that comes with knowing that they truly understand your struggles. If you’ve experienced difficulties with previous therapists who lacked specific knowledge of eating disorders or your mental health concerns, a specialist will know how to approach your treatment with understanding and respect, fostering a therapeutic relationship based on trust and expertise.

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While any therapist can offer support, a specialist offers a more informed, effective, and focused approach to treatment. By working with someone who is specifically trained to address your mental health or eating disorder concerns, you give yourself the best chance at lasting recovery and healing. A specialist will not only guide you through treatment but will empower you with the tools, support, and understanding needed to regain control of your life and well-being.

Professionals who demonstrate clinical expertise in treating eating disorders are eligible for the Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) credential.

Requirements for Certification:

iaedp™ offers the largest certification process for specializing in eating disorder treatment. To become a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, a practitioner must meet certain criteria, which typically includes:

✔ Clinical Experience: The practitioner must accumulate 2,000 hours working directly with eating disorder clients.
✔Training and Education: Completion Completion of 500 hours of indirect work with eating disorder clients, as well as core courses and advanced trainings in eating disorders from medical, nutritional, and therapeutic lenses.
✔ Supervised Practice: Extensive consultation with a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, Approved Consultant in their work with eating disorder clients, where the individual applies techniques in real-world therapy settings under the guidance of a more experienced certified practitioner.
✔ Examination and Evaluation: The certifying body requires practitioners to demonstrate their skills through both a written exam and a clinical case study of their work.
✔ Commitment to Growth: The practitioners are committed to staying current with developments in the field through continuing education and agree to uphold the Association’s ethical principles.

At Bloom, Karen is a CEDS-C, and Sydney, Alyssa, Melissa, Elizabeth, and Raquel are all actively working toward obtaining the CEDS credential.

iaedp™ Approved Consultants (CEDS-C), such as Karen, are professionals who have already obtained the CEDS credential and are approved, due to their proven skill and experience, by iaedp™ to provide consultation hours to other professionals seeking the CEDS designation.

Given the multi-disciplinary nature of eating disorder treatment, CEDS-C consultants can offer guidance to professionals from other fields, such as therapists, registered dietitians (RDNs), and medical professionals. For example, Karen can provide CEDS-C supervision to clinicians in various disciplines.

As iaedp™ is an international association, CEDS-C consultation can be provided across state and national lines.

DBT Training refers to foundational training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and develop coping skills. A therapist with DBT training has learned the basic principles, skills, and strategies of DBT, but they may not have extensive experience or a deep, comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the DBT treatment model.

DBT Intensively Trained Therapist, on the other hand, refers to a therapist who has completed intensive, specialized training in DBT. Intensively trained therapists are equipped to offer more structured and comprehensive DBT programs, including working with individuals in crisis or with more complex mental health concerns.

Requirements for DBT Intensive Training:

✔ Training and Education: Completion of in-depth instruction on all aspects of DBT, such as individual therapy, skills training, consultation teams, and the integration of DBT in treatment.
✔ Supervised Practice: Extensive supervision under the guidance of a more experienced and certified practitioner to ensure they can deliver the therapy effectively and provide the full DBT treatment model.
✔ Clinical Experience: The practitioner demonstrate their competency through clinical experience and participation in a DBT team,

At Bloom, Alyssa Hickey is DBT Intensively Trained,and Karen, Sydney, Melissa, Elizabeth,and Raquel are DBT Trained.

A Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama (CP) is a mental health professional who has completed extensive training in psychodrama therapy and sociometry and has obtained certification through a recognized psychodrama training organization, theAmerican Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP).

Requirements for Certification:

To become a Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama, a therapist must meet certain criteria, which typically includes:

✔ Training and Education: Completion of 780 formal psychodrama training hours, usually involving both didactic learning and experiential exercises.
✔ Supervised Practice: Extensive supervised clinical practice in psychodrama, where the individual applies psychodrama techniques in real-world therapy settings under the guidance of a more experienced practitioner.
✔ Clinical Experience: The practitioner must accumulate 80 hours working directly with clients using psychodrama techniques.
✔ Examination and Evaluation: The certifying body require practitioners to demonstrate their skills through both an observed practical assessment and a written exam.

Role of a Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama:

A Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama (CP) is qualified to facilitate psychodrama sessions, which involve using role-playing, enactments, and spontaneous dramatic activities to help clients explore unresolved emotional issues, past trauma, and interpersonal dynamics. The goal of psychodrama is to create a safe, creative space for individuals to express and process their emotions in a more experiential and action-oriented way.

A Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama uses these techniques to:

✔ Encourage clients to enact roles and experiences to gain insight
✔ Promote emotional expression and release through dramatic improvisation
✔ Help individuals better understand themselves and their relationships with others.

At Bloom, Alyssa is actively pursuing the CP credential.

The terms psychiatrist, psychologist, and therapist/psychotherapist refer to different mental health professionals with varying levels of training, expertise, and roles in treatment:

✔ Psychiatrist

• Education: A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD or DO) who has completed medical school and specialized training in psychiatry.

• Role: Psychiatrists are able to diagnose and treat mental health disorders, often through medication management. They may also provide therapy, but their primary focus is on medical and pharmacological treatments for mental health conditions.

• Focus: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who diagnose and treat mental health conditions, often with medications, such as antidepressants, anti anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, ketamine, and antipsychotics.

✔ Psychologist

• Education: A psychologist typically holds a Doctorate (PhD or PsyD) in psychology, which involves extensive graduate-level training in psychotherapy, psychological testing, and research.

• Role: Psychologists specialize in therapy and psychological testing. They use talk therapy or other therapeutic modalities to treat mental health conditions. They do not prescribe medications.

• Focus: Psychologists are trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders primarily through therapy and psychological testing to understand behaviors, thoughts, and emotions.

✔ Therapist or Psychotherapist

• Education: A therapist may hold a master’s degree in clinical social work (LCSW), marriage and family therapy (LMFT), or mental health counseling (LMHC). Therapists are licensed or in the process of licensure in their respective fields.

• Role: Therapists provide talk therapy to help individuals cope with and overcome emotional difficulties. They specialize in a variety of therapeutic techniques, such as talk, expressive arts, somatic, and experiential therapeutic approaches, depending on their training.

• Focus: Therapists focus on helping individuals manage emotions, resolve issues, and develop coping strategies. They do not prescribe medications.

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At Bloom, all mental health professionals are therapists or psychotherapists.