Okay, I’m totally going to put my foot in it here and offend someone I’m sure but I assure both professions that I mean no harm. I am a psychologist but I work closely with many psychiatrists and have a great deal of respect for the work that they do. Let me explain quickly what the difference is between psychologists and psychiatrists and compare the training of these professionals.
Psychiatrist: Is a medical doctor and in Australia this means they have studied a minimum six year Medical Degree. Then, in addition to this they have studied a specialised program in psychiatry beyond their hospital internship. They are highly qualified as you can tell. They can prescribe medication and for the most part hold a predominantly medical perspective of your mental health. I’m not saying that they discount psychological and psychosocial factors, they just specialise in the medical field and so they bring this philosophy to their conceptualisation of you.
Psychologist: A psychologist has completed a minimum of an undergraduate degree of four years and two years of at work training before they can become registered. Some psychologists (including myself) have completed an additional 2 years of postgraduate Masters degrees in a specific area such as clinical psychology, educational psychology, or counselling psychology. These specialisations don’t necessarily dictate the type of practice they have adopted though their training likely influences their philosophies and conceptualizations of you (and therefore also your treatment).
So… The sorts of things you may want to ask yourself are;
Do I want a pharmacological treatment approach to my issue I am facing (do I want to take medication?)? If so, then a psychiatrist is your best choice but it may not be your first choice. Many psychiatric illnesses can be treated with psychotherapy alone and in other cases a combination of psychotherapy and medication are a better option than just medication alone.
Do I want a diagnosis? Is so, a psychiatrist again is the practitioner you need to see to get a formal diagnosis. This said, psychologists are well trained in the DSM (diagnostic manual) and can provide you with insight and a plethora of information without formal diagnosis. Their diagnostic conceptualisation of you ultimately often guides them in their treatment approach.
What type of therapy do I need? There are lots of different therapeutic approaches. Some demonstrated as being more beneficial for certain issues people are facing. You may have heard of some. If not, check here for some examples…. Some therapists have specific additional training (beyond university) in certain treatment modalities. Find out this info…
What does the presentations does the therapist have a particular interest in? If you have an eating disorder for example, find a therapist who states they have an interest in this area. If you have been given a possible BPD diagnosis, you might like to find a practitioner with an interest in personality disorders (me for example :o))… Practitioners with particular interests keep up to date with the latest research in their area of interest and so are likely well equipped to help you with what you are dealing with.Psychology today is a great website to search for practitioners.
Now, throw all of this information on the sidelines for a minute and I’m going to tell you the single biggest contributing factor to your improvement in your mental health. What do you think it is??
Okay, well, I’m here to tell you that it is not the practitioner’s training. It is also not the type of therapeutic model they adopt. It is also not the number of years they have studied. Research has demonstrated repeatedly that the single biggest factor to your improvements in therapy is the quality of your relationship with your therapist. That’s right!!! The quality of the rapport that you have with your therapist.
So…. Research your therapist choice. Read what they have written, check out their blogs, look at their website, check out their profile photo, arrange a brief phone call, stalk them on facebook (LOL). All of the above. This will give you more knowledge than any letters they have by their name whether they are the right therapist to help you.
Peace and happy journeying….
If you’ve liked what you read here and think I may be a good fit for you, you are welcome to send me an email or call me with any questions you may have.