What is the difference between a psychologist, psychiatrist, and a counselor or therapist?
These practitioners are all considered to be mental health professionals; the major differences are in their type of education, training, and what their license allows them to do. Regardless of which mental health professionals you see, we believe it is imperative that they are licensed. A Psychologist has earned a doctoral degree, either a Ph. D. or a Psy D. in psychology. This training requires a minimum of 4 years of graduate school, and 1 year of internship. A minimum of 1 year of additional supervised experience plus passing national and state exams is required to obtain a license to practice in Florida. Some psychologists may also do a fellowship in a specialty area for additional training. Psychologists are licensed to practice psychotherapy, other forms of counseling and to conduct psychological testing. Psychologists are the evaluation experts. A psychiatrist is a physician (M.D. or D.O.) who has graduated from medical school, and completed a 3 – 4 year residency in psychiatry
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