How is a psychiatrist different than a professional counselor?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can order medical tests and prescribes medication. It takes many years of education and training to become a psychiatrist. After earning a bachelor’s degree, he or she must graduate from medical school and go on to complete four years of residency training in the field of psychiatry. Most, but not all psychiatrists, will see a patient for medication evaluation and diagnosis but not do the “talk therapy” part of therapy or will do only a limited amount. They will continue to follow up with their patient to insure that prescribed medication is working properly and their patients are receiving the proper dosage.
