Differences: Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Therapist.?

Question

Someone just asked a similar question, but I realized that I don't know where therapists fit in.

What is the differences/similarities with these three occupations?

Answer 1

A psychiatrist has attended medical school and is a physician and therefore holds an M.D. degree. In residency, he or she received specialized training in the field of psychiatry, in addition to all the rigorous training of medical school in general. And, just like other fields of medical practice such as internal medicine, psychiatry tends to focus mainly on the use of medications for treatment. Therefore, psychiatric training does not necessarily encompass training in psychotherapy, and, unlike the training for many psychologists, psychiatrists are not required to complete any personal psychotherapy. Nevertheless, many psychiatrists have, for personal reasons, pursued training in psychotherapy. Historically, this training has most often been in the area of psychoanalysis.

A psychologist (sometimes called a Psychotherapist) usually holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.) from a university or professional school. Generally, if he or she is in clinical practice, the degree will be in Clinical Psychology (although it might be in Counseling Psychology). With the exception of the Psy.D. (a purely clinical degree), all psychologists have had extensive training in research, having completed an original scientific study—called a doctoral dissertation—as a major part of the training.

In fact, the psychologist’s training in research is what most distinguishes a psychologist from other providers of mental health treatment. Not only does the field of psychology use research to assess the effectiveness of various forms of treatment, but also any particular psychologist trained in research should have acquired some solid skills useful for analyzing information and drawing conclusions in psychotherapy sessions.

Moreover, in addition to research training, the psychologist will have completed one or more clinical internships, and he or she will likely have been required to have experienced at least a year of personal psychotherapy.

Many psychologists also receive training in psychological testing.