Duel NP/LCPC programs?

Jules A, MSN · Sep 7, 2016

The quick and dirty is there isn't a need to have both. She can do both with the NP although most places won't pay a NP to do anything more than medication management. She could open her own practice depending on the state regulations and do therapy and meds if that is what she really wants to do although again the therapy part isn't nearly as profitable.

For people who want to be a therapist I'd strongly recommend LCSW-C over LCPC. Its a masters like the LCPC but social workers have their stuff together better, imo. Hopefully someone will correct me if this isn't exactly correct but the gist is LCPCs can't bill medicare which is problematic and there are some insurances that require with LCPs's a psychiatrist be the prescriber not a NP or they won't reimburse. At my outpatient practice we aren't hiring LCPCs any more due to these restrictions which is a shame because they ones I know have been good but they as a profession or their national organization hasn't taken the initiative to hire a lobbyist to fight the psychologists who are blocking them from being able to accept medicare which is kind of lame, imo.

Grumble88 · Sep 7, 2016

As above poster said, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioners can provide psychotherapy, but are generally put into a role of med mgmt only, though I know several who provide psychotherapy in a practice owned by a private physician.

PG2018 · Sep 12, 2016

Go psych NP and test the waters. If you want to do more therapy and be more competency get certified in CBT, IPT, DBT, EMDR, or whatever. In reality, she'll find she can reach further and make more money sticking to evaluations and medication management. Most psych patients don't want therapy it seems.