Psychologist, psychiatrist...what's the difference? Which one is right for your mental health issue?
“When you're experiencing psychological distress, you can choose different types of professionals to go to,” says Dr. Mary Ross, a registered psychologist and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “For a psychiatrist, you would need a referral from your GP. A psychiatrist is an MD, and they're going to take more of a biomedical model in their treatment, and their focus is probably going to be on the physiology of your distress. Their treatment is going to be primarily about prescribing and finding the right medication for you.”
A psychologist may have a doctoral degree, but they are not an MD (unless they also hold a medical degree). Psychologists, like MD's and psychiatrists, have different specialties and work in a variety of fields.
“A psychologist's focus is on talk therapy: helping you figure out what sort of thoughts and feelings are causing you distress and what kinds of behaviours are not working for you,” says Dr. Ross. “They can help you find new ways of coping and going forward differently.”
Find out more by watching our video and reading our article on Psychological Trauma.
Psychologist or Psychologist?
Choosing a mental healthcare provider doesn't have to be a case of either/or. You may decide that seeing a psychiatrist to help you find and manage medications will be beneficial, and so will meeting with a psychologist to work through your situation.
Watch our videos on men's mental health.