What is the difference between a Psychotherapist, a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist and a Counsellor?
• A Psychotherapist is someone, normally a graduate, who has undergone several years of clinical training at postgraduate level, which has included intensive personal therapy, a placement in a mental health setting, an extended period of child observation, and extensive supervised clinical practice. A psychotherapist specialises in working with psychological and emotional difficulties, and in their training will have focussed exclusively on working therapeutically with clients • A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has undergone further training in psychiatry. A psychiatrist specialises, therefore, largely in the diagnosis and medication of mental illness • A Psychologist holds a degree in psychology, and is trained to use diagnostic tools – such as psychometric tests – to diagnose psychological disorders. They are also trained in research and statistical analysis.
