Differencing Roles of a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, and Therapist

Mental health issues affect millions of people worldwide, and nearly half of all adults in the United States will experience a mental health issue during their lifetime. If you're one of them, seeking professional help can be crucial to gain relief from your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

There are various mental health professionals who offer treatment for mental and emotional health issues. These include psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and other specialists such as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC), and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) or Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC).

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health and can prescribe medication. Psychologists hold a doctoral degree in psychology, can diagnose mental health conditions, and may offer therapy. They cannot prescribe medication in most cases. Therapists, on the other hand, are mental health professionals who use psychotherapy to treat mental and emotional health issues. They may not be licensed as medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication.

To check the license of a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist, you can use the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) search tool, your state's licensing board, Google search for "your state/therapist type/license verification," or the NCSBN Nursys database. In Germany, a therapist with the title Psychotherapeut is a legally protected professional title for individuals who have completed psychology or medical studies and additional approved psychotherapeutic training.

If your symptoms are mild or moderate, you may want to start with a therapist. If your symptoms are more severe, a psychiatrist may be the best option to start. If you're experiencing a crisis, such as thoughts of self-harming or suicide, you need immediate help. In the U.S., call 9-8-8. In other countries, call one of these numbers.

Changes in your mood can include sustained bouts of crying or sadness for no obvious reason, regularly feeling agitated, worried, or on edge, experiencing rapid mood changes, being short-tempered, angry, or aggressive, feeling empty or numb, feeling overwhelmed, and changes in your thinking, behavior, and physical health. Changes in your behavior can range from experiencing severe delusions or hallucinations to more subtle changes such as difficulty functioning in day-to-day tasks, losing interest in activities you used to enjoy, withdrawing from people and social events, changing clubs or teams, even dropping out of school or quitting work, eating noticeably more or less than usual, sleeping much more or less than you used to, engaging in reckless behaviors, such as speeding, fighting, or risky sexual activity, drinking much more alcohol than usual, or abusing substances, and a close friend or loved one expressing concerns about changes in your behavior.

Physical health changes that could indicate a mental health issue include constantly feeling fatigued even after a good night's sleep, feelings of fear or panic accompanied by a pounding heart, sweating, trouble breathing, or dizziness, frequent gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, upset stomach, or heartburn, changes in your sex drive, marked changes to your eating or sleeping patterns, and chronic pain.

Changes in your thinking can include being plagued by negative thoughts, focusing on the worst case scenarios, expecting the worst in every situation, problems concentrating at school or work, difficulty following conversations, trouble staying organized or managing your time, increased forgetfulness or absent-mindedness, loss of motivation, changes in how you perceive your body or appearance, feeling disconnected from others or your surroundings, changes in self-esteem or self-confidence.

Before the appointment, gather important information, make a note of what you want to talk about, and list any questions you want to ask. During the appointment, clearly explain why you're seeking help, be open and honest, and don't expect your provider to do all the work for you. After the appointment, follow through on your treatment, make healthy lifestyle changes that can support your treatment, and if you have a negative experience, don't hesitate to switch to another provider.

When you're struggling with a mental health issue, and self-help strategies aren't enough, reaching out for professional help can be important to gain relief from your symptoms and improve how you feel. If mental or emotional health issues have been adversely impacting your daily life for two weeks or more, or making it difficult to meet your responsibilities at work, home, or school, it may be time to seek professional help.