What are the differences between psychiatrists, psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, therapists, counselors, and coaches and how do I decide which one to go see?
Many clients are confused by all these different titles. Some of them overlap but there are some distinct differences in terms of degrees and qualifications as well as the specific services provided. Psychiatrists are medical doctors (M.D., D.O., etc) who received additional training to specialize in psychiatry. They typically have approximately 12 years of college education. Their primary roles are to provide psychiatric evaluations and prescribe psychotropic medication for clients when needed. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy but most simply prescribe medications and often have clinicians in their office that provide the talk therapy. Family physicians and nurse practitioners are also able to prescribe psychotropic medications but psychiatrists typically have a more specialized practice in medication for mental health symptoms. Psychologists have doctorate (PhD, PsyD, etc) degrees that require usually a minimum of two additional years of school beyond a master’s degree.
Related Questions
- Are, Social Workers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Counselors, Therapists, or other human service providers mandated reporters for child abuse and elder abuse purposes?
- What are the differences among psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychotherapists, and psychoanalysts?
- Who Can Provide Psychotherapy?
