"Is one type of therapist better than another...?

Such as LPC, LMFT, LCSW. What would you recommend people do when trying to find a therapist?"

This is a great question.

So, I think there's a few factors that go into picking a therapist. Unfortunately, finances are probably at the top of that list, so I'd say first and foremost, search for therapists in your provider network. But if there's no one available - trust that your mental health is worth the investment.

Then, I'd start narrowing the search by demographics - someone in your state, someone who works with your age range, someone informed by your sexual orientation, religious affiliations, or any other identifications important to you.

After that - focus on the issues you want to work on. Anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, etc - these things are going to come with the territory - almost any therapist worth a damn is going to be able to help you address these symptoms. But you'll be doing yourself a huge favor, narrowing this search down by searching for someone who can help you address the source. If you listen closely enough to your body, it'll tell you. Sit and write down some of those ruminating thoughts. What do they say? Who are they about? The more you know about yourself going into this, the better. You'll be able to better distinguish between looking to find someone who specializes in childhood trauma, vs mood disorders, vs body dysmorphia or a debilitating fear of aliens - what have you. It'll make all the difference.

Now, as far as disciplines go? I can say this much.

I'm an LCSW, so I'm going to be a little biased. What that means is, I got my Master's degree in Social Work, passed a state licensing test to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), then earned thousands of hours of clinical practice to pass another state licensing test and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

This process is going to be similar for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC's), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT's) Psychologists, or otherwise. Some are going to require more schooling than others. And some are going to require earning more clinical hours towards licensure than others.

I can't speak exactly to what each discipline is taught - but I'll give you my general understanding.

I'd say LPC's and LCSW's are pretty similar. I took a quick glance at the curriculum and it looks almost the same. The requirements for licensure are pretty similar as well. Speaking, as a Social Worker, I've found that the big difference emphasized in my training was treating people as part of their environment. This means, in a word, looking at the bigger picture - not just the diagnosis.

LMFT's seem to focus mostly on marriage and family counseling.

And Psychologists are going to focus more heavily on research - as is required for a thesis in any Doctorate programming.

Things to look out for as well - is the therapist certified in any one specific modality? Yes, we all get schooled in broad strokes on a lot of tools, but there are entire institutes dedicated to focusing solely on sharpening these tools - whether it be Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Psychoanalysis - there's a lot of them. Which could be helpful, if you're very specific about what you need treated, but also work against you if the therapist is too rigid in their approach.

To answer your question more directly, though? I'd say there's going to be great therapists and terrible ones no matter what discipline they chose to study. Find one with a kind face, and a profile that speaks to you. And if they suck, you can always try another one.

All the best.