Whats the difference between therapy and psychiatry

In the realm of mental health, psychiatry and psychology overlap. As mental health professionals, psychiatrists and therapists are experts in how the mind affects people’s well-being and behaviors. Both can work in a residential or outpatient mental health counseling center. However, there are differences between a psychiatrist vs therapist.

Understanding a Psychiatrist vs Therapist

Psychiatrists are specialists who prevent, diagnose and treat mental disorders. As medical doctors, they complete four years of medical school and an internship for one year. Then, they undergo specialized training as psychiatric residents for at least three years.

After their extensive education and training, they can differentiate underlying medical conditions from mental illnesses. They can monitor how mental problems affect people’s physical conditions, and vice versa. In addition, they hold a license to prescribe medications to treat anxiety, depression and other mental conditions. In fact, much of their treatment focuses on managing medications.

When medications aren’t enough to treat mental illnesses, psychiatrists may provide therapy or refer people to therapists. Such professionals can include psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, marriage counselors or any other professionals who provide talk therapy.

In general, therapists have at least a master’s degree, and many of them can diagnose and treat mental conditions. However, they aren’t medical doctors and can’t prescribe medications. Their goal is to help people understand their feelings and thoughts, make changes to improve themselves and develop life skills.

Types of Therapists

While the differences between a psychiatrist vs therapist are clear, the differences between the various therapists might not be. Basically, the distinction lies in their education.

Psychologists have doctoral degrees in psychology. They attend graduate school to learn how to evaluate and treat emotional and mental illnesses. Then they complete a two- or three-year internship for training in behavioral therapy, psychological theory and treatment methods.

Licensed mental health counselors have a master’s degree in psychology or a counseling-related field. They also complete at least two additional years of training to obtain a license. Like psychologists, they can evaluate and treat mental illnesses with therapy.

Clinical social workers have a master’s degree in social work. They can receive extra training to evaluate and treat mental disorders and provide case management services. Furthermore, they work as advocates for people and their family members.

How Therapists and Psychiatrists Work Together

Because of the differences between a psychiatrist vs therapist, they often work together to provide comprehensive mental health treatment. While therapists help people address the cause of their problems, psychiatrists prescribe and monitor medications to control symptoms. This combination aids the healing process.

As a result, most people with mental health conditions see their therapists on a weekly basis. However, they may only see their psychiatrists once a month. Their specific treatment plan will be a collaboration between themselves, their therapists and their psychiatrists.

Find Your Mental Health Care Team in One Place

Do you think that you need mental health treatment? Remedy Therapy can provide all of the care that you need in one place. Our outpatient counseling services Palm Beach Gardens include:

• Individual therapy
• Group counseling
• Family therapy
• Teen counseling
• Dialectical behavior therapy

Don’t seek treatment before you fully understand the differences between a psychiatrist vs therapist. Let us teach you more about how our specialists work together to help you heal. Call 855.509.1130 to take the first step toward mental health wellness.

Most of us are aware of the increase in mental illness in recent years, but for many, awareness is limited unless they or someone they love is directly affected by mental illness. As a reminder: 

• About 20% (more than 46 million) of US adults belong to the Any Mental Illness (AMI) category, which includes people who suffer from any mild to severe mental health condition. Approximately 25% of those also belong to the Serious Mental Illness (SMI) subcategory. 
• Almost 50% of US adolescents belong to the AMI category and 22% of those also belong to the SMI subcategory. 
• Mental illness is linked to substance abuse in about 20% of cases. 
• The average delay between symptom onset and treatment is 11 years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), – during which a condition typically progressively worsens and likelihood of positive treatment outcome decreases.
• There was an 86% increase in the rate of death by suicide in children/adolescents ages 10-19 between 2007 to 2017
• According to the CDC, the proportion of child and adolescent mental health-related visits to emergency departments increased and has remained elevated since April 2020. Compared to 2019, the proportion of mental health-related visits for children 5-11 and adolescents 12-17 increased about 24% and 31%, respectively.

The need for optimized, widespread mental health care is abundantly clear. As the former “nation’s doctor” 19th Surgeon General Vivek Murthy suggested, the recent rise of mental illness in the United States has been of epidemic proportion, and as we round what feels like the final corner of COVID-19, it’s especially imperative that mental health be one of the nation’s top public health priorities. One of the most important components of tending to the present rise in mental illness and staying ahead of the future nationwide mental health crisis we face is increasing the number of mental health care providers available to the public. The average person is familiar with resources like psychologists and psychiatrists, but are unaware of equally helpful mental health care professionals such as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, licensed counselors, and clinical social workers – just to name a few. In this blog we’ll discuss the types of therapists, what makes psychiatrists unique, which type of provider could be best for you.  

What are therapists?

The term “therapist” is often broadly used to describe all types of mental health care professionals ranging from counselors to psychiatrists. Though, professionally, the term “therapist” is typically reserved for all mental health care providers that deploy treatment through talking to patients and having the patient share their experiences, thoughts and emotions to gain further insight into themselves. Some of the most commonly known professionals that are referred to as therapists are psychologists, licensed counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers. In general, therapists do not prescribe medication.

Somewhat confusingly, while some psychiatrists only prescribe medication using their license as a medical doctor, many psychiatrists also are considered to be therapists, as they use talk therapy with a patient as part of the patient’s treatment.

Psychologists

Psychologists are individuals who have spent an average of seven years earning a doctoral degree (PhD, PsyD, or EdD) in clinical psychology or another specialty, such as counseling or education. They are trained to diagnose psychiatric conditions and provide a variety of evidence-based forms of psychotherapy, such as Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). For those patients who may benefit from the simultaneous use of psychotherapy and medication, psychologists work with primary care physicians and psychiatrists on developing the best treatment plan for each individual patient. In some states, psychologists may also complete additional specialized training to prescribe certain medications that are known to improve mental health concerns. 

Licensed Counselors and Therapists

These mental health care providers have earned a master’s degree (M.S. or M.A.) in a mental health-related field, such as psychology, counseling, or marriage or family therapy. These professionals are trained to evaluate an individual’s mental health, but do not typically diagnose psychiatric conditions. They deliver therapeutic techniques based on their specific training to help patients cope with and work through day-to-day emotional and behavioral concerns. Examples of professionals who belong to this category are Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LCADAC).  

Clinical Social Workers

Clinical social workers are most similar to licensed counselors and therapists in that they have earned a master’s degree, but specifically in social work (MSW). Depending on their specialized training, clinical social workers may provide individual, marital, family, and group therapy. Like licensed counselors and therapists, clinical social workers do not generally diagnose psychiatric conditions, but they are trained in evaluating a person’s mental health and providing therapeutic techniques based on their specialized background. Examples of professionals in this category of therapists include Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW).  

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs)

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners first earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) then a master’s or PhD in nursing with a specialty in psychiatric mental health care. Although they are not medical doctors, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners share many of the same responsibilities as psychiatrists. PMHNPs can clinically assess, diagnose, and treat the mental health concerns of their patients. They can administer physical and psychosocial assessments and treatment effectiveness evaluations, as well as conduct psychotherapy and prescribe medications. 

• Remedy boasts 4 PMHNPs who are integral members of our highly proficient team of mental health providers. Meet Ugochi Azubuike, Amy Enis, Darshana Kneebone, and Verretta Moore!

What are psychiatrists? 

Psychiatrists earn a medical degree, MD or DO, from an allopathic medical school or osteopathic medical school, respectively. Their primary roles are to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals with psychiatric concerns. While they are qualified to conduct psychotherapy, psychiatrists tend to focus more on psychopharmaceutical treatment and other medical treatments more than psychologists and other therapists do.

As previously noted, the responsibilities of psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are extremely similar. This, along with the fact that psychiatrists are ” therapists” in the informal sense that they are specialists that provide a form of therapy, is likely the reason the term therapist is used as a blanket term by the general public to describe all types of mental health care providers, including psychiatrists. However, as it was also previously noted, psychiatrists are typically not regarded as therapists in professional settings as they are the only type of mental health care provider that earned a degree in medicine. 

• The Remedy team also includes two board certified supervising psychiatrists, who are separately qualified to treat child, adolescent, and adult populations. Meet Dr. Kirsten Thompson (our founder) and Dr. Scott Hunter!

Should I See a Therapist or a Psychiatrist?

If you’re interested in talk therapy (or ‘psychotherapy’), you can elect to begin treatment first with a therapist.

If you’re interested in medication, you would want to see a trained mental health professional that has the licensing to prescribe medication, such as a psychiatrist or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. If you do not currently have access to a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner or if you are unsure of which type of mental health care provider is best for you, it may be beneficial to consult with your primary care physician to discuss your options.  

Ultimately, you cannot go wrong in choosing to proceed with a therapist or psychiatrist in tending to your mental health. Despite differences in their approach, all mental health care providers share the same goal: To recognize, treat, and prevent mental illness so people can lead happier, healthier lives. So regardless of which type of mental health care provider you choose, they will always seek to devise the best treatment plan for you – even if that means introducing you to another type of provider. 

Addressing the increasing mental health concerns across the nation is an all hands on deck situation. Fortunately, there is a consortium of equally necessary, knowledgeable, and helpful mental health care providers that are dedicated to helping people lead happier, healthier lives!