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Many people tend to assume that ‘psychiatry’ and ‘clinical psychology’ are interchangeable terms, but these two specialties have numerous key differences.
The main difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist lies in their training and treatment approaches. Psychologists typically hold a PhD or PsyD and focus on psychotherapy, psychological testing, and research. Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs) who specialize in mental health. They can prescribe medication, conduct physical examinations, and use medical interventions alongside psychotherapy to treat mental health disorders.
Psychiatrists and psychologists often work together, each embodying a different role. Often, a psychiatrist will make an initial diagnosis and prescribe any necessary medications, and then refer you to a psychologist for ongoing psychotherapy.
The two professionals will work in collaboration with each other in the total assessment and diagnostic process of an individual, couple, or family. The psychiatrist will typically manage the medications while the psychologist will provide therapy services.
Education and Training
Psychiatrists must graduate from medical school and become licensed medical doctors before completing their training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.
While they are educated in behavioral science and mental processes, they receive most of their education and experience in medical studies, and their coursework emphasizes medicine, human biology, and anatomy. Becoming a psychiatrist usually requires at least 11 years of education and training.
Clinical psychologists, on the other hand, need either a master’s degree in a psychology-related field or a doctorate degree in clinical psychology – either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy in psychology) or a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology).
If a psychologist earns a Ph.D. or PsyD, he/she would be considered a doctor. They receive professional training specifically focused on treatment methods to help individuals cope with a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems.
Their coursework emphasizes human development and behavior. Becoming a clinical psychologist usually requires around at least six years of education and training.
While both psychiatrists and clinical psychologists might be considered doctors, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor, whereas a clinical psychologist has earned a doctorate in the field of clinical psychology
Specialties
Psychiatrists tend to focus on the brain and medicine to treat psychiatric and psychological disorders. They usually treat people with more serious, complex, and abnormal conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression.
They focus on medication management and identifying and medically treating disorders. They can understand the intricacies of the brain and how diseases, such as metabolic disorders, poor nutrition, drug or alcohol abuse, and severe head injuries, can affect our minds and behavior.
Clinical psychologists are more concerned with cognition, mental health conditions, behavioral problems, depression, and anxiety.
They tend to serve the role of a counselor or therapist, using psychotherapy to help patients cope with mental illness, work through personal issues, and develop healthy coping mechanisms for emotional problems.
They can provide services for specific populations such as children and adolescents, veterans, LGBTQ persons, people with learning disabilities, families, couples, or elderly people.
They also will typically have a specialty or a niche in an area, such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, or eating disorders.
They focus on treating emotional and mental suffering and use psychotherapy to work through these problems.
Treatments provided
Both psychologists and psychiatrists are trained to provide therapy and treat behavioral health problems in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Psychiatrists can diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications, manage psychological treatment, and provide therapy. Psychiatrists tend to focus their sessions with patients on managing dosages of medication and monitoring the patient’s progress and symptoms while on medication. Patients usually do not engage in talk therapy with their psychiatrist, although they certainly can.
Psychologists, on the other hand, focus specifically on psychotherapy and take a more holistic approach to treat patients.
They cannot prescribe medication and usually work with patients to create treatment plans to work through difficult emotional and behavioral issues.
Psychologists utilize psychotherapy which is a talk-based therapy, but there are various approaches and techniques within this field.
Examples include psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, dialectical behavioral therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and existential therapy.
Where they practice
Psychiatrists can work in hospitals, private practices, psychiatric facilities, and government facilities. They typically work in collaboration with a patient’s other medical providers and alongside a patient’s psychologist.
Clinical psychologists tend to work in outpatient facilities or offices as individual practitioners in private practice or as part of a group practice. They can also work as organizational psychologists in hospitals, health clinics, schools and universities, rehabilitation centers, or large corporations.
While psychiatrists and clinical psychologists treat mental and behavioral health problems, there are fundamental differences in education, authority to medicate, treatment approach, and work environment.
However, despite these differences, psychologists and psychiatrists are both essential in researching about and developing treatments for improving the mental and emotional well-being of people.
References
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. (n.d.). Psychiatrists and psychologists: What’s the difference? Your Health in Mind. Retrieved from https://www.yourhealthinmind.org/psychiatry-explained/psychiatrists-and-psychologists
Pipich, M. (2020, April 28). Clinical psychology vs. psychiatry: Key differences & what each does. Choosing Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/psychology-vs-psychiatry/
Psychology.org Staff. (2022, January 31). Difference between psychologist vs Psychiatrist. Psychology.org. Retrieved from https://www.psychology.org/resources/how-to-choose-between-psychologist-or-psychiatrist-career/
FAQs
Are psychologists doctors?
Yes and no. Psychologists have doctoral degrees in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), making them doctors in their field.
However, they are not medical doctors (MDs) and generally cannot prescribe medication, unlike psychiatrists who are medical doctors specializing in mental health and can prescribe medication.
Can a psychologist diagnose mental illness?
Yes, psychologists are trained to diagnose and treat various mental health disorders. They use psychological tests, interviews, and direct behavior observation to provide diagnoses.
However, while they can provide therapy, they generally cannot prescribe medication, distinguishing them from psychiatrists.
Do psychiatrists do therapy?
Yes, psychiatrists can provide psychotherapy, a form of therapeutic treatment involving conversations and interventions aimed at improving a patient’s mental health. However, their role often focuses more on diagnosis and medication management due to their medical training.
What can a psychiatrist do that a psychologist cannot?
A psychiatrist, being a medical doctor, can prescribe medication and provide a range of medical interventions for mental health disorders.
Unlike most psychologists, they can also perform physical examinations and order diagnostic tests to rule out physical causes of mental health symptoms.
