What is the differenece between a psychiatrist, a psychologists, and a psychotherapists?

Question

I think I need to see someone to deal with a lot of things going on in my life, and I may need to go on antidepressiants. I don't know who I should see for this. I have no clue what the difference is between these people.

Answer 1

Okay this is the way it works. A psychiatrist has been to medical school past graduate school and can prescribe medication. They basically just do medication management.

A psychologist has a graduate degree but hasn't been to medical school and does one on one therapy with clients. So both have doctorate degrees however one has medical school too.

A mental health nurse practitioner is a nurse who has been to medical school and can prescribe medication.

If you want to be seen by a professional and get evaluated you can have this done by both a psychiatrist and a psychologist but the only one who can prescribe medication is the psychiatrist. However a lot of psychologist work with mental health practitioners so that they can prescribe medication for you. Don't go see your regular doctor unless he has experience dealing with stress or depression.

What I would do if it were me is I would look in the yellow pages and see what the different doctors are and their specialties. Because if there's a specific problem you are having you would want to see someone who specializes in that area. Such as post traumatic stress disorder, you would want to find a therapist who specializes in that. So I hope this worked for you.

Answer 2

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with a speciality in psychiatry and can prescribe drugs in Canada is covered by your basic medical. Psychiatrists will interview you as part of an assessment and make recommendations from there. Some psychiatrists will offer therapy but most will suggest some form of counselling from someone else. In order to see a psychiatrist you need to get a referral from your family doctor.

A psychologist has a PhD.D. in Psychology and has to also has to pass a comprehensive test and belong to a regulatory body in order to refer themselves as a psychologist. They do not prescribe drugs but their scope of practice includes administering psychological tests and/or providing counselling. In Canada, many extended plans will cover a psychologist.

The label "psychotherapist" does not tell you anything about the credentials of the person. If you are looking for a therapist then make sure that they have a Master's Degree in psychology, Counselling Psychology, or Social Work and preferably belong to a regulatory body deeming them a Clinical Counsellor. In Canada there are some extended plans that will cover a Counsellor. Many workplaces offer Employee assistance Programs where the employer pays a specific Counselling Agency to provide 6 sessions and the service is completely confidential even though it is your employer that is paying for it.

The most important thing is to find someone that you are comfortable with. Sometimes recommendations from friends or family may be helpful or you may just need to see a few different people before you find someone that works for you.

Best of Luck!

Answer 3

A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor, who goes through medical school and then gets and additional specialized degree. Psychiatrists can prescribe meds, but the others cannot.

Psychologists are typically PhDs who have studied the human thought processes for several years and a psychotherapist is a specific type of psychologist. Depending on what kind of therapy you're looking for, you may choose one over the other.

They both have their pros and cons, but for my part, I'd try to get through my problems without meds first. Antidepressants work most of the time, but you're messing with your brain chemistry and there can be some nasty side effects and you may not feel quite like yourself (I have a friend on antidepressants).

Good luck sweetie and I hope you're able to sort out your problems!

Answer 4

The difference between psychiatrists is that they help deal with mental illnesses and prescribe medicine...Psychologists do not prescribe medicinethey help through behavioral techniques and advice. I'm not sure about psychotherapists. But, with your issues I'd suggest a psychologists because most people don't really need anti-depressants and they tend to do more harm than help...So, I'd steer clear of them...

Answer 5

See a Psychiatrist. They are also licensed medical doctors and the only one of the three types able to prescribe medication.

The other two (psychologists and psychotherapists) are only licensed for therapy.

Answer 6

A Registered Psychiatric Nurse Practicioner is an excellent alternative choice. They usually work closely with a medical doctor or psychiatrist, and they can write prescriptions. They are generally much more affordable and accessible than MD's and often give more time per session and form more bonding relationships.

Answer 7

They differ in the amount of training
A psychiatrist is also an MD and can prescribe medication
A psychologist has a doctorate in helping people
A phychotherapist or MFCC has a masters degree

Answer 8

My HMO set me up with an immediate visit with a certified mental health counselor, and I was later sent to a psychiatrist because I needed prescription antidepressants.

In later years, I returned to that counselor for awhile to help me with CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) also known as the "talking cure" because I needed help handling issues in my life.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medications.
Psychologists are experts in human behavior.
Certified Mental Health Counselors are experts in behavioral therapy.

If you are feeling suicidally depressed, don't delay, call your local hotline. They can point you to resources.

If you are feeling you simply need help handling your life, see a counselor or therapist. If the therapist thinks that you need antidepressants for a short time to help you be strong enough to go through therapy, he/she will refer you to a psychiatrist to manage your medication needs.

Hope this helps you. Please know that in my case, therapy helped me a lot. The counselor helped me work through my issues (old baggage and current problems) and see things differently. I've been out of therapy for about 5 years and I'm doing well.

Answer 9

Of the 3, only psychiatrists can prescribe medication.

Answer 10

goto a psychologist, licensed therapist, or aprn practicing therapy. they're best if you need to sit down and talk things out. all of those except the aprn might need to refer you to a psychiatrist for meds, but even your family doctor could prescribe the meds, it's most important to find someone you are compatible with to talk to.

the psychiatrist practically just asks close-ended questions, like they are taking a survey to figure out if you need medication. in the long run more of your problems will be solved by talking it out with one of the others i mentioned above, sometimes you need both but start with just sitting down with someone to talk and let them determine if you need a med referral.