What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a therapist, a counselor, etc.?
Psychiatrists are trained as medical doctors. After premedical courses in college, they go to the same medical schools as other physicians and surgeons, take the exact same coursework, and are awarded the same MD or DO degree. Psychiatrists then go on to get specialty training for four years after medical school. Because psychiatrists are fully trained as medical doctors before they obtain specialty training in psychiatry, they are granted prescription-writing privileges by state and federal governments. Their specialty training also includes extended training in psychotherapy, so a psychiatrist might treat patients with medications, with talk therapy, or with a combination of both. Psychologists follow a different training track. They receive a PhD or PsyD degree from a college or university, and get several years of psychotherapy training in clinical settings. They also receive special training in administering and interpreting psychological testing instruments. Psychologists are not
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