What LMHC and NCC mean, in plain terms

What LMHC means

LMHC stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor. In Florida, it is a professional license for counselors who provide psychotherapy. Earning it involves graduate training in counseling, a period of supervised clinical experience, and passing a licensing exam. Keeping it active means continuing to meet the state's ongoing requirements.

Licenses are public records. You can look one up with the Florida Department of Health to confirm it is active. My own Florida license, MH21235, is verified active with the Florida Department of Health. My master's degree in mental health counseling is from Argosy University, and the about page has more on my background.

What NCC means

NCC stands for National Certified Counselor. It is a national certification through the National Board for Certified Counselors, known as the NBCC, and it sits alongside a state license rather than replacing it. The license is what allows a counselor to practice in Florida. The certification is a separate, national credential held in addition to it.

Put together, the credentials behind the work at Psi Wellness look like this:

• LMHC: A Florida license to provide counseling and psychotherapy.
• NCC: A national counseling certification, held alongside the state license.
• Master's degree: Graduate training in mental health counseling, from Argosy University.
• Florida: Sessions in person in Tampa and by telehealth anywhere in the state.

How a counselor differs from a psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in mental health and can prescribe medication. A licensed mental health counselor provides talk therapy: structured conversations and practical skills aimed at what you want to change. The two roles often work side by side, with a psychiatrist or another prescriber managing medication while a counselor focuses on the week-to-week work of therapy.

At Psi Wellness, diagnosis and medication sit with medical providers. If either becomes part of the picture, I can help you connect with the right person, and therapy can continue alongside that care.

What counseling here covers

The work is psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families and teens, in person in downtown Tampa or by secure video anywhere in Florida. It draws on four approaches, solution focused therapy, CBT, ACT and DBT skills, which are described in more detail on how I work. Brief questionnaires such as the PHQ-9, GAD-7 and MDQ can be used to track how things are moving, and the assessments page explains them. They are tools for the conversation, not a diagnosis.

Because the license is issued by Florida, telehealth sessions are available to residents of Florida, and sessions can only be held while you are physically in the state. The range of concerns seen in the practice, with ADHD as the primary specialty, is listed on what I treat. If you are still comparing options, the guide to choosing a therapist walks through what to look for.

Common questions