Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
International Eating Disorder Referral Organization
Definitions/Glossary - scan down this page
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Abbreviations and Glossary:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z (Underlined letters are hyperlinks to below)
AADP: American Association of Drugless Practitioners
ABD: All but Dissertation -- the informal designation of Ph.D. (ABD), for "All But Dissertation," not an actual degree but an informal convention.
ABPP: American Board of Professional Psychology Certified
ABMPP: American Board of Medical Psychotherapists and Psychodiagnosticians
ACS: Approved Clinical Supervisor
ACSM-HFI: American College of Sports Medicine Health Fitness Instructor
ACSW: Licensure varies by state. A clinical social worker may be a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers or listed in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Register of Clinical Workers.
ADC II: Is a Texas Credential signifying that a person is board certified at the masters degree level. Alcohol Drug Counselor, Level II
ADA: American Dietetic Association
ADTR: Academy of Dance Therapists Registered
AED: Academy for Eating Disorders
AFAA: Aerobics and Fitness Personal Trainer Certification & Group Exercise Certification www.afaa.com
ANAD: Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (Association)
APRN-BC: Advanced Practice Nurse, Board Certified
APSW: Advanced Practice Social Worker -- Adult Protective Social Workers
ATR: Art Therapist Registered
ATR-BC: Art Therapist Registered -- Board Certified
BC-DMT: Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist
BCBA: Board Certified Behavior Analyst
BCD: Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, clinical social workers with a masters degree, more than five years of experience in mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, who have passed an examination and met the other requirements for national certification by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work (ABE). Annual recertification is required.
BC-DMT: Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist
BCETS: Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress
BCIA-C: Biofeedback Certification Institute of America Certified
BCN: Board Certified in Neurofeedback
BCPC: Board Certified Professional Counselor
BCPCC: Board of Christian Professional and Pastoral Counselors
BCW: Bachelor of Community Welfare
CAAC: Certified Advanced Addiction Counselor
CADC: Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
CADAC: Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor
CAP: Certified Addiction Professional
CARF: Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, to advocate and promote quality rehabilitation services, the organization is now known simply as CARF.
CAS: Certified Addition Specialist
CASAC: Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor
CBT: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
CCBT: Certified Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist
CCC: Canadian Certified Counsellor
CCH: Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
CCHT: Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
CCN: Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist
CCSAS: Certified Clinical Sexual Addiction Specialist
CCSD: Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
CCSW: Certified Clinical Social Worker
CED-RD: Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian
CD: Certified Dietitian
CD-N: Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist
CDEs: Certified Diabetes Educators
CDMS: Certified Disability Management Specialist
CDE: Certified Diabetes Educator
CDN: A certified dietitian or certified dietitian-nutritionist integrates and applies principles derived from nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, food management, and behavioral and social sciences to achieve and maintain people's health.
CDPT: Chemical Dependency Professional Trainee
CDVC: Certified Domestic Violence Counselor
CEAP: Certified Employee Assistance Professional
CEDA: Certified Eating Disorders Associate
CEDRD: Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian: A certification offered by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals; designed to demonstrate knowledge in the treatment of eating disorders.
CEDS: Certified Eating Disorder Specialist: A certification offered by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals; designed to demonstrate knowledge in the treatment of eating disorders.
CEDT: Certified Eating Disorder Therapist
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
CET: Certified Experiential Therapist. It is a certification
granted be the American Society of Experiential Therapists.
CFCS: Certified Family and Consumer Scientist www.oaimh.org
CFT: Certified Fitness Trainer
CGP: Certified Group Psychotherapist, offered by the American Group Psychotherapy Association or Certified Group Practitioner
CGT: Certified Gestalt Therapist
CHES: Certified Health Education Specialist
CHC: Certified Health Counselor
CHHC: Certified Holistic Health Counselor
CHHP: Certified Holistic Health Practitioner
CHT: Certified Hypnotherapist
CHTP: Certified Healing Touch Practitioner
CLT: Certified Lymphedema Therapist
CMT: Certified Massage Therapist
CMFT: Certified Marriage and Family Therapist
CNC: Certified Nutrition Consultant
CNS: Certified Nutrition Specialist
Counselor: A generic term for someone who counsels
CPC: Certified Professional Coach
CPCC: Certified Professional Co-Active Coach
CPLC: Certified Personal Life Coach
CPT: Certified Personal Trainer
CPWLC: Certified Professional Weight Loss Coach
CRAT: Certified Rational Addictions Therapist
CRC: Certified Disability Manager
CS: Clinical Specialist or Clinical Supervisor
CSAT: Certified Sex Addiction Therapist
CSCS: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
CSRC: Certified Subconscious Restructuring Life Coach/Counselor or Certified Sexual Reorientation Coach
CSSD: Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics
CSW: Certified Social Worker
CTRT: Certified Trauma Resolution Therapist
CWC: Certified Wellness Coach
CYT: Certified Yoga Therapist
DAPA Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association
DBT: Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DTR: Dance/Therapist Registered It signifies to the public and professional communities that an individual is prepared to practice dance/movement therapy in a clinical, educational, or rehabilitative setting.
DCSW: Doctorate in Clinical Social Work
D.O.: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Psychiatrist
DNBAO: Diplomate of the National Board of Acupuncture Orthopedics
DPNAP: Distinguished Practitioner of the National Academy of Practice. Elected individuals who have spent a significant portion of their professional career in the practice and direct delivery of health care services. www.napractice.org
Dr.: Doctor could be an M.D, a Ph.D., a Psy.D., Ed.D., D.O., or a DCSW
DSW: Doctor of Social Work or DCSW Doctor of Clinical Social Work
Eclectic: Employing individual elements from a variety of treatment styles
Ed. D.: Doctorate of Education
Ed.S.: Educational Specialist
EFT: Emotional Freedom Therapist
Emetophobia: Emetophobia is an intense, irrational fear or anxiety pertaining to vomiting. This specific phobia can also include subcategories of what causes the anxiety, including a fear of vomiting in public, a fear of seeing vomit, a fear of watching the action of vomiting or fear of being nauseated. It is considered to be one of the most common phobias in the world. (Wikipedia)
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful therapeutic process that has people find relief from a wide range of emotional and personal problems especially trauma.
ERS: Environmental and
Resource Studies or Environmental and Rural Science
FAAFP: Fellow American Association of Family Practice
FAAP: Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics
FABMPP: Fellow American Board of Medical Psychotherapists & Psychodiagnosticians
FACP: Fellow of the American College of Physicians
FADA: Fellow of the American Dietetic Association
FAED: Fellow, Academy for Eating Disorders
FAPA: Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association
FIPA: Fellow of the International Psychoanalytic Association
FNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
FSAM: Fellow Society for Adolescent Medicine
Gastroparesis: Gastroparesis causes anorexia in the physical sense, but is due to a malfunctioning of the stomach muscle. The stomach does not contract because the vegas nerve no longer works to signal the stomach to function. Food does not digest, leaving one nauseated and unable to gather any nutrient value from it. This can cause one to often spontaneously and without warning vomit undigested food hours after eating. This disease is most common in people with diabetes.
GCFP
GCP: Good Clinical Practice or Member of the Guild Complementary Practitioners
HFS: stands for Health Fitness Specialist. Its an abbreviation deemed from the American College of Sports Medicine for those who have completed the requirements (education/testing) for this level of distinction
HSPP: Health Service Provider in Psychology
IAEDP: The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals
IEATA: The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association http://www.ieata.org
IAYT: International Association of Yoga Therapists
ICADC: Internationally Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
IMF: Intern in Marriage and Family Therapy
JCAHO: The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) sets standards for healthcare organizations and issues accreditation to organizations that meet those standards. JCAHO conducts periodic on-site surveys to verify that "an accredited organization substantially complies with Joint Commission standards and continuously makes efforts to improve the care and services it provides."
JD: Doctor of Jurisprudence (an attorney)
LAC: Licensed Addiction Counselor
L.Ac.: Licensed Acupuncturist
LADC: Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor
LAMFT: Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
LAPC: Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
LCAS: Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist
LCADC: Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor
LCAT: Licensed Creative Arts Therapist
LCDC: Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor
LCMFT: Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist
LCMHC: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
LCP: Licensed Clinical Psychologist
LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker: A mental health professional with a Masters Degree (MSW) in social work and two years of supervised clinical experience.
LCSW-C: Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical: Master’s in Social Work, Clinical
LCSW-R: In New York State, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (LCSW) is a person who has a Master's Degree in Social Work from an accredited university and has passed the state's licensure exam. The "R" designation is only awarded after a licensed Clinical Social Worker has had a minimum of 6 years of postgraduate professional supervision, and has met strict credentialing guidelines. The "R" designation allows for third party insurance reimbursement. Prior to September 1, 2004 the license, Certified Social Worker (CSW) was issued by New York State, the Licensed Clinical Social Worker, (LCSW) license replaces it.
LD: Licensed Dietician
LDN: Licensed Dietician/Nutritionist
LGBT: (or GLBT) refers collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual
LGSW: Licensed Graduate Social Worker
LICSW: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker These are masters-level clinical social workers with advanced experience who have met state requirements for licensure.
LISAC: Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor
LISW: Licensed Independent Social Worker
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LMFTA: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
LMHCA: Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
LMHP: Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
LMNT: Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist
LMSW: Licensed Master Social Worker
LMSW-ACP: Licensed Master Social Worker-Advanced Clinical Practitioner
LN: Licensed Nutritionist
LLP: (1) Limited Liability Partnership (2) Limited License Psychologist 3) Licensed Psychological Practitioner
LP: Licensed Psychologist
LPA: Licensed Psychological Associate
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor: A type of counseling license generally held by a Masters level graduate or professional. The requirements for this type of licensure are less than that for a Psychologist or Psychiatrist licensure.
LPCC: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
LPCI: Licensed Professional Counselor Intern
LRCP: Licensed respiratory care practitioner
LRD: Licensed Registered Dietitian
LSCSW: Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker
LSLP: Licensed Speech Language Pathologist
LSWA: Licensed Social Work Associate: Bachelor’s in Social Work, Basic
MA: Master of Arts--a university graduate degree requiring one or two years of additional study above the requirements for a bachelors degree (BA or BS)
MACP: MA in Counseling Psychology or MA in Community Psychology or MA in Clinical Psychology
MAEd: Masters Degree in Education
MAPC: Master of Arts in Professional Counseling
MAIOP: Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology
MBSR: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT or LMFT): Designation given to persons with specialized training in Marriage and Family Counseling. Requires masters level training and strong emphasis on family systems and family therapy but not limited to family therapy alone.
MC: Masters in Counseling
MCJ: Masters Degree in Criminal Justice
M.D.: Medical Doctor
M.Div.: Masters level degree in Divinity. Individuals holding this degree have learned counseling approaches/techniques in the context of divinity school graduate training.
M.Ed.: Masters in Education
MFA: Master of Fine Arts degree , involving music, art, music & art history, etc.
MFC: Marriage and Family Counselor
MFCC: Marriage, Family and Child Counselor
MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist
MFTi: Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
MGPGP: Master in Group Process/Psychotherapy (individual/group psychodynamic psychotherapy)
MHR: Master of Human Relations
MHSA: Master of Health Services Administration
MHSP: Mental Health Service Provider
MLSP: Master of Law and Social Policy
MOE or MOAE: Master in Occupational and Adult Education
MPC: Master of Pastoral Counseling
MPH: Master of Public Health
MPhil: Masters degree in Philosophy
MPS: Master of Professional Studies is one of the degrees offered by Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York 11205. The MPS degree is offered in several departments: Arts and Cultural Management, Art Therapy & Creativity Development, Art Therapy--Special Education, and Design Management.
MS: Masters of Science - a university graduate degree requiring one or two years of additional study above the requirements for a bachelors degree (BA or BS)
MSCP: Master of Science in Clinical Psychology
MSEd: Master of Science in Education
MSLPC: Master of Science, Licensed Professional Counselor
MSN: Master of Science in Nursing
MSPH: Master of Science in Public Health
MSSW: Master of Science in Social Work
MSTOM: Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine
MSW: Masters in Social Work
MT-BC: Music Therapist, Board Certified
NASM-CPT: National Academy of Sports Medicine - Certified Personal Trainer
NBCCH: National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists
NCC: Nationally Board Certified Counselor
NEDA: National Eating Disorders Association
Night Eating Syndrome: The condition is characterized by a lack of appetite for breakfast; the consumption of more than 50 percent of daily calories after the evening meal, and waking up, at least, once a night to consume high-carbohydrate snacks. To receive a diagnosis of NES, symptoms must have continued for a minimum of three months.
NLP: Neuro Linguistic Programming
NLPP: Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner
NP: Nurse Practitioner
NPP: Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry
NCPsyA: Nationally Certified Psychoanalyst
P.A.: Physician's Assistant or Psychological Assistant (This person is under a supervisor's license)
PACCC: Professional Association of Canadian Christian Counsellors
Partial hospitalization is a type of program used to treat mental illness and substance abuse. In partial hospitalization, the patient continues to reside at home, but commutes to a treatment center up to seven days a week. Since partial hospitalization focuses on the overall treatment of the individual, rather than purely on his or her safety, the program is not used for people who are acutely suicidal.
PAT: Professional Art Therapist or a Provisional Addictions Therapist
Pastoral Counselor: Generally a clergy person, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, etc. who provides counseling. Some Pastoral Counselor have degrees such as M.Div. or MFT but is important to ask for credentials if this is an issue for you.
PBSP: Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor (see www.pbsp.com)
Ph.D.: Doctorate of Philosophy (Psychology) Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy): A doctoral degree requires extended graduate level university training. This training generally lasts 4-6 years after completing regular college bachelor degree programs. Clinical Psychologists often have this degree but this degree can be used by many difference field (i.e. Ph.D. in Education).
PICA: Pica is an eating disorder typically defined as the persistent eating of nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month at an age in which this behavior is developmentally inappropriate.
PLC or PLLC: Legal structure utilized when therapists , in accordance with provisions of the Professional Limited Liability Company Law form a professional practice by registering with the State Education Department and the Department of State. This organization may be formed by members of certain different professions to offer multi-disciplinary services (cannot include professionals licensed in Medicine and Dentistry).
PLPC: Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselors are experienced therapists who have a Masters Degree in Counseling. They are working under the supervision of a Licensed Professional Counselor to complete licensure requirements. They offer a reduced fee scale according to need and income.
PMH: Psych-Mental Health
PMHNP: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Psy. D.: Doctorate of (Clinical) Psychology Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology): A doctoral level degree requires extended graduate level university training. Not all university programs offer Psy.D. degrees. The Psy.D. degree can indicate a more clinical focus than a Ph.D. but not necessarily.
Psychologist: A doctoral level degree in the science of Psychology. Psychologists that specialize in therapy are called Clinical Psychologists. Psychologists are the most extensively trained therapists. The term Psychologist is legally protected by state law - only persons who are licensed as psychologists can call themselves psychologists.
Psychopharmacology: The study of the actions, effects, and development of drug that influence the mind.
Psychiatrist: A Medical Doctor or Physician (MD) who has completed medical school and a multi-year residency in Psychiatry. They are experts in the use of medications to treat mental disorders. They focus on a medical model of treating mental illness rather than providing counseling or individual therapy.
Psychoanalyst: A therapist who practices analysis and focuses on early childhood experiences.
Psychodynamic: The interaction of various conscious and unconscious mental or emotional processes, especially as they influence personality, behavior, and attitudes
Psychotherapist: This is a generic term and does not apply to any specific credentials.
PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
QCSW: Qualified Clinical Social Worker
RBT: Rational Behavior Therapist
RC: Registered Counselor
RCC: Registered Clinical Counselor
RD: Registered Dietitian
RDN: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist -- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Board of Directors and the Commission on Dietetic Registration have approved the optional use of the credential "registered dietitian nutritionist" (RDN) by registered dietitians (RD).
RDT: Registered Drama Therapist
REAT: Registered Expressive Arts Therapist
RRT: Registered Respiratory Therapist
RYT: Registered Yoga Teacher
Self Psychology: Self psychological theory proposes that healthy self-development proceeds from adequate responsiveness of caregivers to the child's vital emotional needs, including alterego needs, idealizing needs, and mirroring needs
SEP: Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (Certified)
TAS (Tobacco Addiction Specialist): A certification through The Association for Addiction Professionals www.naadac.org
ThD: Doctor of Theology Degree
Therapist: Also known as "Psychotherapist". This is a generic term and does not apply to any specific credentials.
If you haven't found what you are looking for, then try here http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com
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