Psychotherapist, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist?

You’ve decided to start taking your mental health more seriously. (Awesome, we love to see it!) However, you’re not quite sure how to start. You’ve heard people mention seeing a therapist, but you’ve also heard about psychologists and psychiatrists. You’re quite confused and not sure where to go to get your needs met.

The question of the difference between various mental health practitioners is one I get often. In this post, I’d like to give a very simplified breakdown of the differences and similarities, and which one might be helpful for what. 

But before I dive in, I'd like to give a brief mention to the Family Doctor. If you live in Ontario, Canada, the family doctor is often the first point of contact for all things health related, including mental health. If you go regularly, have a competent doctor, and feel like you can honestly share your concerns, they may be able to point you in the right direction and even provide helpful referrals. That being said, not everyone has a family doctor, and even those that do, may not have one who they feel comfortable sharing their mental health challenges with. Even if that is the case, there is still hope for finding help!

*Disclaimer: The following descriptions and definitions are specific to Ontario, Canada where these practices are regulated and where I live and practice. The specifics of the descriptions may or may not apply to other regions (though general information is likely to be fairly similar).

Psychotherapist

I already gave a description of this in my last post, so I’ll give a simple recap and provide some context. Psychotherapists are people who primarily use talk-based therapy to support people in improving and maintaining their mental health and well-being. A psychotherapist would help you address the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that may be making daily life difficult, and help you find ways to deal with these challenges. What that would look like is different for everyone. In Ontario, there are a few different groups of people who can practice psychotherapy though your average therapist is likely a Registered Psychotherapist/Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) or a Social Worker who has training in providing psychotherapy.

An important thing to note is that psychotherapists (who don't also hold the title of psychologist or psychiatrist) CANNOT diagnose. They may notice a pattern of behaviour or thoughts that are potentially consistent with a diagnosis, but a formal assessment and diagnosis would have to be done by a psychologist or psychiatrist. 

Psychologist

According to the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario “Psychologists and Psychological Associates are trained in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of behavioural and mental conditions”. Psychologists are able to do a variety of things depending on their training and area of specialty. This may include teaching, conducting research, conducting psychological assessments, providing psychological diagnoses, and conducting psychotherapy.

Therefore, psychologists CAN diagnose and are trained in the skills and tools necessary to do so. Likewise, they CAN perform the act of psychotherapy. However, not all psychologists actively work as psychotherapists and many choose to focus their career on assessments and diagnosis or research and teaching. An important thing to note is that psychologists CANNOT prescribe medication as this would have to be done by a Medical Doctor or Nurse Practitioner. I won’t be discussing the latter in this post, but you can find more information here.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. One who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions/mental illness. They have completed the medical training required of practicing physicians in Ontario, as well as holding a specialist certificate in psychiatry from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 

The big difference between a psychiatrist and the other professionals listed above is that a psychiatrist CAN prescribe medication. Likewise, they CAN diagnose and they CAN perform psychotherapy. Though they can perform all of these functions, the focus of many psychiatrists’ practice is medication and diagnosis, with fewer offering ongoing, long-term psychotherapy.

So to conclude, while there is overlap between all three professions, each tends to have their general areas of focus. They also come with different price tags for service, but perhaps that's a post for another day. Hopefully, this information is useful in helping you better understand who does what, and which providers may be relevant to your own mental health journey. If you’d like to see more posts about this, let me know in the comments below. Until then, take care!