Therapist vs. Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist: What’s the Difference?

A therapist is a mental health specialist that is licensed in their state, who may also be known as a psychotherapist, a therapist main focus is to help their client(s) develop better cognitive and emotional aids while reducing symptoms of their mental illness and allowing them to learn new coping mechanisms that can be used during various life challenges which can improve the quality of their life.

Therapists also help their clients find their strength and courage to confront and fully understand the difficult emotions and previous experiences or future experiences they may have to go through, this will allow them to learn from these experiences and move past them. Therapists provide support, compassion, guidance, accountability, positivity, and an ear to allow their clients to speak freely and fairly about their situations while providing clinical advice and recommendations that they believe their client needs.

Therapists often work with clients in person or online through phone or video conference calls. A few of the common services that therapists provide to their clients include:

– Analysis of client’s present issues
– Analysis of any influences within the client’s life either past or present
– Providing client’s a judgemental free zone to freely speak
– Diagnosing mental health conditions
– Teaching emotional, communicative, and cognitive skills
– Teaching them to resolve emotional, relational, and professional conflicts effectively
– Providing guidance during a tough time in a client’s life
– And so much more

A psychologist provides research, while practicing and teaching various topics that are focused on the way people think, behave, and feel. Often psychologists work with individuals, families, groups, or larger organizations within the government or specific industries.

A few common topics that psychologists often focus on within their practice include:

– Mental health revolved around depression, phobias, anxiety, etc.
– Neurological, psychological, social determinants, and genetic behaviors of the client
– Psychological determinates of their client’s psychological health that may factor into their health and disease management
– Psychological factors that may prevent disease while maintaining physical health
– Rehabilitation if a client is disabled or dealing with a chronic illness
– Provide support for brain injuries or a degenerative brain disease
– Figure out the relations between a client’s psychological factors, physical conditions, and illness
– Cognitive function
– Behavioral and developmental abilities of a client
– Research the criminal behavior, crime prevention, and the services that are available to victims and perpetrators involved in criminal activity
– Substance abuse, emotional or physical abuse, and abductions
– Stress, anger, and other lifestyle needs that can be managed
– Court of law consultations for psychological factors within the legal system
– Psychology used in the workplace
– Marital and family issues and relationships
– Social and cultural behaviors of individuals
– Psychological factors in relation to the performance of individuals at their work, school, sport, or recreation

Psychiatrists focus on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders within their client(s). They have a medical doctorate and specialize in the field of mental health. Some of the mental illnesses that psychiatrists tend to focus on and work with include:

– Bipolar
– Depressive disorder
– Schizophrenia
– Trauma and stress disorders
– Obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD)
– Anxiety disorders
– Eating disorders
– Elimination disorders
– Sexual dysfunctions
– Gender dysphoria
– Sleep disorders
– Substance and addictive disorders
– Personality disorders

A psychiatrist treatment plan may involve a combination of the following:

– Medication
– Brain stimulation therapy
– Psychotherapy
– Light therapy

Psychiatrists achieved a medical doctorate, which allows them to prescribe medication to their clients. They tend to focus on the mind and body as one. Usually, psychiatrists will treat their client(s) with medication, prescriptions, and management.

Psychologists specialize and study their client(s) behaviors and mental processes. Psychologists help their client(s) to learn and understand different life issues and handle them effectively while they diagnose any mental health issues and provide treatment for the correct mental health disorder, learning disability, and behavioral issue.

Therapists have graduated with a master’s degree, and provide mental health diagnoses while providing treatment plans to their client(s). Unlike psychiatrists, therapists are not able to prescribe any medications but can refer their client(s) to psychiatrists for an evaluation for medication and other relatable treatments.

For more information, call us. We serve patients from Salem NH, Windham NH, Atkinson NH, Plaistow NH, Pelham NH, Hampstead NH, Danville, NH and Derry NH.