If you’ve been considering seeing someone to talk to but are confused about the different titles, don’t worry, you’re not the only one! With all the “p” words in the mental health profession, it’s understandable that it’s hard to tell the difference between a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychoanalyst, and social worker. Keep reading to learn a little more about each one and how they can help.
1. Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist has a medical degree, which means he or she has attended medical school and is trained in general medicine, and can prescribe medication. After earning an MD, they practice for up to four years of residency, training in psychiatry. Usually this involves working with psychiatric patients in a hospital.
Mostly psychiatrist just provide a person with prescriptions and medication management. If what you want is talk therapy, you will need to see a psychotherapist.
2. Psychotherapist
A psychotherapist is any professional who has been trained to treat patients with emotional problems. A psychotherapist might be a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. They might work with groups, individuals, families, or couples. A psychotherapist offers what is called talk therapy, and that’s what you will do: you will talk with your psychotherapist about your problems and how to fix them.
Perhaps the biggest different in this practice is that different psychotherapists might offer different types of therapies. One-on-one sessions, art, music, or drama therapy are all options.
Psychotherapy and counselling, which are sometimes used interchangeably, are not the same. Psychotherapy is typically treatment based on a diagnosable mental health issue, in-depth, and used, a lot of the time, with psychotropic medication. Counselling is typically more wellness-oriented, where the patient obtains increased insight and learns how to overcome challenges and problems.
3. Psychologist
A psychologist has a PhD or PsyD doctoral degree. This can take up to six years and he or she studies the history of psychological problems, personality development, and the science of psychological research. Grad school teaches psych students how to diagnose emotional and mental disorders in different situations. After grad school, a psychology student has to complete an internship, where they will learn problem-solving techniques, analytical testing, methods of treatment, behavioural therapy, and psychological theory.
They can offer talk therapy and also have training in psychological testing. They might perform research in academic or research settings. Some who have done training specific to clinical work have a “PsyD”, instead of “PhD” as their academic degree. Psychologists focus on treating the mental and emotional suffering in their patients using behavioural intervention.
4. Psychoanalyst
A psychoanalyst works with the unconscious mind to determine defense mechanisms and motivations that are outside of a person’s awareness in order to stop him or her from repeating harmful patterns. After obtaining a professional degree, a psychotherapist might go on to do specialized training in psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysts sort through a person’s subconscious memories for the cause of the current difficulties. They tend to meet more often with their clients, up to five times a week.
5. Social Worker
A social worker may have an education similar to a psychologist, and depending on where they are licensed, they might have a different title. They tend to not do any psychological testing, and are usually more attuned to the individual in their environment as compared to a psychologist or psychoanalyst.
Some people might choose to use a combination of the above approaches, all at the same time. For example, a patient may go to a psychiatrist for official diagnosis and medication, but will meet with a psychologist or psychotherapist for regular talking sessions.
