i have a few questions for anybody in the pyschiatry or psychology field so plz check the deatils here?

Question

1. what's the exact difference between a psychiatrist and psychologist and a therapist??

2. what are the best colleges in the US to study the pyschology field?

3. is there ANY information at all which you might think is important regading this subject please tell me

THANK YOU!!

CAN SOMEONE LIST ALL THE TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGY I CAN GET INOT AND ALSO WHICH 2 STATES CAN A PSYCHOLOGIST PRESCRIBE MEDS?

Answer 1

Psychiatrist -- Medical degree. Can provide psychotherapy. Can prescribe medications

Psychologist -- Doctoral degree, either PhD or PsyD. Can provide psychotherapy. Many are also involved in research. Can provide medication ONLY in 2 states.

Therapist -- Someone licensed to provide psychotherapy. Can include a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, and in some states an individual with a masters degree in clinical psychology.

Almost all schools have a psychology department. If you're talking about the undergraduate level, I would say to go to the best school you get into. The quality of the undergrad psychology department should be roughly equal to the quality of the school on the whole. If you're talking about studying at the graduate level, it's really hard to say because it depends SO much on what part of psychology you're interested in (clinical vs. neuropsychology; eating disorders vs. phobias; psychotic disorders vs. personality disorders; etc.).

Based on your questions, it seems like you're interested in getting a degree in psychology. If that's the case, the most important thing that I can say in response to your 3rd question is that research experience is absolutely essential if you want to get into a PhD program in clinical psych. These programs are harder to get into than medical schools, and it's necessary to have a strong undergraduate record to secure admission.

Answer 2

A psychiatrist has been to medical school and can prescribe medication and do psychotherapy where a psychologist hasn't been to medical school and just does therapy. A psychiatrist usually doesn't do long term cognitive therapy what they do is medication management.

It depends, there are many great schools. Harvard Medical School is the best I think. They are up to date on medications and treatments and they do a lot of clinical trials.

You don't really need to go to medical school. The way most people do it is they become a psychologist and set up a practice where they have a nurse practioner who can prescribe medication and specializes in mental health. To be a psychologist you will get your BS/BA in four years, Masters in five, and PhD in seven.

You can be a therapist with a masters. The best masters to get is a Masters in Social Work. That takes five years of school and you can have your own practice after you take the state test.

Answer 3

1. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. He has to go to med school, while a psychologist or therapist usually has an advanced degree (MA) in psychology
2. Try UC Berkeley or BYU
3. You really need a laid back and easy going temperment to be the best at this.

Answer 4

a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication.
a psychologist has a Ph.D in psychology and has interned and passed state board exams to be licensed.
a therapist has a masters degree in psychology na dhas interned and passed state board exams to be licensed.

many schools in the US offer good programs.

Answer 5

Your first 3 questions have been pretty throughly addressed, but I wanted to answer your addendum questions.

Here's a list of the American Psychological Association's Divisions, which are all the areas recognized by the APA.
http://www.apa.org/about/division.html

Here's the different areas you can specialize in with an advanced degree (Master's or Doctorate):
Clinical Psychologists assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. These range from short-term crises, such as difficulties resulting from adolescent rebellion, to more severe, chronic conditions such as schizophrenia.

Cognitive and perceptual psychologists study human perception, thinking, and memory.

Counseling psychologists help people recognize their strengths and resources to cope with their problems.

Developmental psychologists study the psychological development of the human being that takes place throughout life.

Educational psychologists concentrate on how effective teaching and learning take place.

Engineering psychologists conduct research on how people work best with machines.

Evolutionary psychologists study how evolutionary principles such as mutation, adaptation, and selective fitness influence human thought, feeling, and behavior.

Experimental psychologists are interested in a wide range of psychological phenomena, including cognitive processes, comparative psychology (cross-species comparisons), learning and conditioning, and psychophysics (the relationship between the physical brightness of a light and how bright the light is perceived to be, for example).

Forensic psychologists apply psychological principles to legal issues.

Health psychologists specialize in how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness.

Industrial/organizational psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to the work place in the interest of improving productivity and the quality of work life.

Neuropsychologists (and behavioral neuropsychologists) explore the relationships between brain systems and behavior.

Quantitative and measurement psychologists focus on methods and techniques for designing experiments and analyzing psychological data.

Rehabilitation psychologists work with stroke and accident victims, people with mental retardation, and those with developmental disabilities caused by such conditions as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism.

School psychologists work directly with public and private schools.

Social psychologists study how a person's mental life and behavior are shaped by interactions with other people.

Sports psychologists help athletes refine their focus on competition goals, become more motivated, and learn to deal with the anxiety and fear of failure that often accompany competition.
http://www.apa.org/topics/psychologycareer.html

The two states that allow psychologists to prescribe medications with special training are New Mexico and Lousiana. These are considered underserved areas with a shortage of psychiatrists.
http://www.apa.org/releases/louisianarx.html

If you want to learn a lot about psychology and psychology as a career, the APA website is an excellent resource.
http://www.apa.org/