Guide to Psychiatry and Counseling - WebMD

A psychological counselor is a mental health professional who has a master's degree (MA) in psychology, counseling, or a related field. In order ... MenuMedicalReferenceFeaturesVideoSlideshows&ImagesNewsArchiveAnxiety&PanicDisordersBipolarDisorderDepressionEatingDisordersSchizophreniaSubstanceAbuse&AddictionSocialMediaandMentalHealthNews&FeaturesReferenceQuizzesSlideshowsVideosFindaPsychiatristADHDCrisisAssistanceHealth&BalanceLivingHealthyMilitaryFamiliesSupportPersonalityDisordersPTSDStressManagementMoreRelatedTopicsMentalHealthReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbySmithaBhandari, MDonDecember08,2021InthisArticleWheretoStartTypesofMentalHealthProfessionalsTheDifferenceBetweenCounselingandPsychotherapyTypesofPsychotherapyGettingStartedWithaMentalHealthProfessionalPsychiatryandpsychologyareoverlappingprofessions.Practitionersinboth--psychiatristsandpsychologists--arementalhealthprofessionals.Theirareaofexpertiseisthemind--andthewayitaffectsbehaviorandwell-being.Theyoftenworktogethertoprevent,diagnose,andtreatmentalillness.Andbotharecommittedtohelpingpeoplestaymentallywell.Buttherearedifferencesbetweenpsychiatryandpsychology.Andpeoplesometimesfindthosedifferencesconfusing,especiallywhentheyarelookingforhelp.Tomakemattersevenmoreconfusing,psychiatristsandpsychologistsaren'ttheonlymentalhealthprofessionalsyoucanchoosefrom.Therearementalhealthcounselors,socialworkers,nursesandnursepractitioners,andotherswhodealwithissuesofmentalhealth.Andifyouconsiderthemultipleapproachestotreatment,rangingfromcounselingtovariousformsofpsychotherapy,thewholementalhealthsystembeginstolooklikeamazethat'snearlyimpossibletonavigate.Buthere'saguideyoucanusetohelpyoumakeyourwaythroughthatmaze.WheretoStartIssueswithmentalhealth,especiallyifthey'rechronic(persistentorrecurringoften),canbedebilitating.Yourbodycanrespondphysicallytodepressionoranxietymuchlikeitdoestophysicalillness.Andsometimes,mentalproblemscanactuallybecausedbyaphysicalcondition.Sothefirstpersontoseeifyouthinkyouarehavingamentalproblemisyourprimarycaredoctor.Yourdoctorwillaskaboutyoursymptoms,howlongyou'vebeenhavingthem,andwhetherthey'reconstantorcomeandgo.Yourdoctorwillcheckforphysicalproblemsthatcouldbecausingyoursymptomsandhelpyoudecidewhattypeofmentalhealthprofessionalandwhatkindoftherapymightbebestforyou.TypesofMentalHealthProfessionalsYourdoctormightreferyoutoanyofthefollowingmentalhealthprofessionals:Psychiatrist.Apsychiatristisamedicaldoctor(M.D.orD.O.)whospecializesinpreventing,diagnosing,andtreatingmentalillness.Apsychiatrist'strainingstartswithfouryearsofmedicalschoolandisfollowedbyaone-yearinternshipandatleastthreeyearsofspecializedtrainingasapsychiatricresident.Apsychiatrististrainedtodifferentiatementalhealthproblemsfromotherunderlyingmedicalconditionsthatcouldpresentwithpsychiatricsymptoms.Theyalsomonitortheeffectsofmentalillnessonotherphysicalconditions(suchasproblemswiththeheartorhighbloodpressure),andtheeffectsofmedicinesonthebody(suchasweight,bloodsugar,bloodpressure,sleep,andkidneyorliverfunctioning).Asamedicaldoctor,apsychiatristislicensedtowriteprescriptions.Manymentaldisorders--suchasdepression,anxiety,ADHD,orbipolardisorder--canbetreatedeffectivelywithspecificdrugs.Ifyouareworkingwithapsychiatrist,alotofthetreatmentmaybefocusedonmedicationmanagement.Sometimesmedicationaloneisenoughtotreatthementalillness.Sometimesacombinationofmedicationandpsychotherapyorcounselingisneeded.Ifthatisthecase,thepsychiatristmayprovidethepsychotherapy,orthepsychiatristmayreferyoutoacounselororothertypeofmentalhealthprofessional.Psychologist.Apsychologisthasadoctoraldegree(PhD,PsyD,orEdD)inpsychology,whichisthestudyofthemindandbehaviors.Graduateschoolprovidesapsychologistaneducationinevaluatingandtreatingmentalandemotionaldisorders.Aftercompletinggraduateschool,aclinicalpsychologistcompletesaninternshipthatlaststwotothreeyearsandprovidesfurthertrainingintreatmentmethods,psychologicaltheory,andbehavioraltherapy.Licensedpsychologistsarequalifiedtodocounselingandpsychotherapy,performpsychologicaltesting,andprovidetreatmentformentaldisorders.Theyarenot,though,medicaldoctors.Thatmeansthat,withtheexceptionofafewstates,psychologistscannotwriteprescriptionsorperformmedicalprocedures.Oftenapsychologistwillworkinassociationwithapsychiatristorothermedicaldoctorwhoprovidesthemedicaltreatmentformentalillnesswhilethepsychologistprovidesthepsychotherapy.LicensedMentalHealthCounselor.Apsychologicalcounselorisamentalhealthprofessionalwhohasamaster'sdegree(MA)inpsychology,counseling,orarelatedfield.Inordertobelicensed,theprofessionalcounseloralsoneedstwoadditionalyears'experienceworkingwithaqualifiedmentalhealthprofessionalaftergraduateschool.Amentalhealthcounselorisqualifiedtoevaluateandtreatmentalproblemsbyprovidingcounselingorpsychotherapy.ClinicalSocialWorker.Aclinicalsocialworkerhasatleastamaster'sdegreeinsocialworkandtrainingtobeabletoevaluateandtreatmentalillnesses.Inadditiontopsychotherapy,socialworkerscanprovidecasemanagementandhospitaldischargeplanningaswellasworkasanadvocateforpatientsandtheirfamily.PsychiatricorMentalHealthNurse.Somenurseshavehadspecialtraininginprovidingmentalhealthservices.Dependingontheirleveloftrainingandcertification,theycanevaluatepatientsformentalillnessandprovidetreatmentintheformofpsychotherapy.Insomestates,theyarealsolicensedtoprescribeandmonitormedications,sometimesindependentlyandsometimesunderthesupervisionofamedicaldoctor.Nursesalsoprovidecase-managementservicesandserveaspatientadvocates.TheDifferenceBetweenCounselingandPsychotherapyAlthoughthetermscounselingandtherapyareoftenusedinterchangeably,thereisadifferencebetweenpsychotherapyandpsychologicalcounseling.Counselingfocusesonspecificissuesandisdesignedtohelpapersonaddressaparticularproblem,suchasaddictionorstressmanagement.Thefocusmaybeonproblemsolvingoronlearningspecifictechniquesforcopingwithoravoidingproblemareas.Counselingisalsousuallymoreshort-termthantherapy.Psychotherapyismorelong-termthancounselingandfocusesonabroaderrangeofissues.Theunderlyingprincipleisthataperson'spatternsofthinkingandbehavioraffectthewaythatpersoninteractswiththeworld.Dependingonthespecifictypeofpsychotherapythatisbeingused,thegoalistohelppeoplefeelbetterequippedtomanagestress,understandpatternsintheirbehaviorthatmayinterferewithreachingpersonalgoals,havemoresatisfyingrelationships,andbetterregulatetheirthinkingandemotionalresponsestostressfulsituations.Ifsomeonehasaformofmentalillnesssuchasdepression,bipolardisorder,schizophrenia,orananxietydisorder,psychotherapyalsoaddresseswaysinwhichtheillnessesaffectstheirdailylife,focusesonhowtobestunderstandtheillnessandmanageitssymptomsandfollowmedicalrecommendations.TypesofPsychotherapyTherearenumerousapproachestopsychotherapy,alsocalledtalktherapy,fromwhichmentalhealthprofessionalsdrawtheirtreatmentpractices.Differenttypesofpsychotherapiesareoftenbetter-suitedtospecifictypesofproblems.Forexample,somepsychotherapiesaredesignedmainlytotreatdisorderslikedepressionoranxiety,whileothersfocusmoreonhelpingpeopleovercomeproblemswithrelationshipsorobstaclestogreaterlifesatisfaction.Someformsofpsychotherapyareone-on-onewithatherapist,whileothersaregroup-basedorfamily-based.AccordingtotheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,thoseapproachesfallintofivebroadcategories.Psychoanalyticorpsychodynamictherapies.Theideabehindthiskindoftherapyisthatpeople'slivesareaffectedbyunconsciousissuesandconflicts.Thegoalofthetherapististohelpthepersonbringthoseissuestoaconsciouslevelwheretheycanbeunderstoodanddealtwith.Thismayinvolveanalyzingdreamsorexploringaperson'spersonalhistory.BehavioralTherapy.Thisapproachtotherapyfocusesonlearningandbehaviorinanefforttochangeunhealthybehavioralpatterns.Sometherapiststrytohelppatientslearnnewassociationsbyusingasystemofrewardandpunishmenttobringaboutcertainbehavioralchanges.Anotherapproachmightinvolveacontrolledseriesofexposurestoaphobiatriggertodesensitizeapersontoanunreasonablefear.CognitiveTherapy.Theemphasisincognitivetherapyisonaperson'sthoughts.Theideaisthatdysfunctionalthinkingiswhatleadstodysfunctionalemotionsorbehaviors.Thegoalistohelpthepersonrecognizeunhealthythinkingpatternsandtorecognizeandchangeinaccuratebeliefs.GroupTherapy. Oneormorebehavioralprovidersleadsagroupof5-15patientsafewhoursperweek.Groupsaretypicallydesignedtohelpeachotherdealwithaparticularissues,including obesity,socialanxiety,grief,chronicpain, orsubstanceabuse.HumanisticTherapy.Thisapproachtotherapyisbasedontheideathatpeoplearecapableofmakingrationalchoicesanddevelopingtheirmaximumpotential.Thisapproachtotherapyisoftenclientcentered,withtheclientbeingseenastheauthorityonwhatisgoingoninside.IntegrativeorHolisticTherapy.Thisapproachreliesonintegratingmultipleapproachestotherapybasedontheclient'sindividualneeds.Forinstance,cognitivebehavioraltherapyisacombinationofthetwoindividualtherapiesandfocusesonboththoughtandbehavior.GettingStartedWithaMentalHealthProfessionalFindingtherightmentalhealthprofessionalandtherightapproachtotherapyisasimportantasfindingtherightmedicaldoctor.Whetheryouareplanningtoseeapsychologistorapsychiatristoranothertypeofmentalhealthprofessional,youshouldstartwithaphonecalltotheprofessional.Askabouttheprofessional’sapproachtodealingwithmentalissuesandhowtheygenerallywork withclients.Askaboutwhetherornottheyaccept insuranceandhowpaymentsarehandled.Youmightdescribeyourreasonforwantingtomakeanappointmentandaskiftheyareexperiencedindealingwithsuchissues.Ifyouarecomfortabletalkingwiththem,thenextstepistomakeanappointment.Atyourfirstofficevisit,thementalhealthprofessionalwillwanttotalkwithyouaboutwhyyouthinkyouneedtocometotherapy.Theywillwanttoknowaboutwhatyoursymptomsare,howlongyou'vehadthemandwhat,ifanything,you'vedoneabouttheminthepast.Theywillprobablyaskyouaboutyourfamilyandyourworkaswellaswhatyoudotorelax.Thisinitialconversationisimportantindevelopingtheappropriateapproachtotreatment.Beforeyouleavetheoffice,thementalhealthprofessionalshoulddescribetoyoutheplanfortreatmentandgiveyouanopportunitytoaskanyquestionsyoumighthave.Itwilllikelytakeseveralweeksbeforeyoubecomefullycomfortablewithyourtherapy.Ifyoustillaren'tfeelingcomfortableaftertwoorthreevisits,letthementalhealthprofessionalknowandexplainwhyyoufeelthatway.Thetwo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