What’s the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
The terms “psychologist” and “psychiatrist” are often used interchangeably, but while both these types of mental health care professionals work towards assisting people experiencing emotional or psychological distress, their approaches and training are quite different.
Psychologists receive in-depth training in order to practise psychotherapy, which involves talking and exploring around emotions, relationship patterns and interpersonal dynamics in order to help reduce psychological distress. Psychologists (including counselling, clinical and educational registration categories) have no medical training and are unable to prescribe any medication.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors, who complete a degree in general medicine before receiving further training as a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists use appropriate medication to help alleviate psychological distress, and may prescribe drugs such as anti-depressants, mood-stabilisers and anti-anxiety medication. Some psychiatrists may provide counselling as well, but their training is primarily medical in nature.
When it comes to exploring your emotions, relationships and dynamics that are at the root of your difficulty, then psychologists are the appropriate choice of health care professionals. If you feel that you may need medication to help reduce your symptoms, then psychiatrists are the appropriate choice. In some cases, both psychological and psychiatric input is necessary in order to achieve mental health and well-being, and input from both fields can achieve a higher rate of treatment success.
Both psychologists and psychiatrists are registered as health care professions with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, and those practising in these fields must receive at least a Masters degree and the relevant theoretical and practical training before being able to practice.
