With the myriad of mental health practitioners that exist , it can be confusing to know who is the correct professional to contact. This article outlines the different categories of mental health professionals to help clarify treatment options.
Types of Professionals
There are several types of professionals that deliver different mental health treatments.
- Psychiatrists are medical doctors specializing in diagnosing and treating mental illness, often with medication and possibly cognitive or behavior therapy.
- Clinical psychologists specialize in diagnosing and treating abnormal behavior, mood disorders, and cognitive disturbances but do not prescribe medication. They often treat clients with behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, or some combination or variant of these.
- Psychiatrists and psychologists often diagnose and specialize. Issues such as eating disorders, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, or child developmental delays like autism are just some of the problems benefiting from such expertise.
- Marital and family therapists are trained to treat problematic relationship patterns. They come from diverse backgrounds such as psychology, social work, or nursing and are trained in special therapies geared for couples and families. They are treatment providers who excel at family assessments and generally do not diagnose mental disorders unless they are also a psychologist or psychiatrist.
- Social workers, psychiatric nurses, and counsellors may also be trained to deliver some interventions but are usually incapable of a definitive mental health diagnosis. They represent the only group of mental health providers that may take on client tasks themselves or visit clients at home.
- Psychoanalysts are psychiatrists, psychologists, or other mental health experts who specialize in psychoanalysis, a very long-term, intensive therapy that can be used for self-exploration and to treat anxiety and personality disorders.
Choosing the Expert
Although it is possible for a single professional to practice more than one therapy, each has typically been trained in a primary intervention or specialty.
For any problem involving drug therapy, a psychiatrist is required for a diagnosis, prescription, and follow-up. Psychiatrists that deliver other appropriate forms of intervention can be retained as the primary treatment provider.
To treat emotional, behavioral, or cognitive difficulties, a psychologist is the appropriate choice for diagnosis and treatment. It is preferable to seek a psychologist that specializes in the problem and it may be advisable or necessary to begin by seeing a psychiatrist for a diagnosis, possible drug prescription, and referral to a psychologist for treatment.
Regarding family, marital, or child problems, a marital and family therapist is best suited for intervention. Family transitions like separation, divorce, re-marriage and crises arising from loss, trauma, or addiction can be effectively handled in the context of family therapy. Also, any couple issues or child medical, learning, or behavior problem that challenges parents are served well in family or couple therapy.
For emotional issues in need of some support or life challenges in need of brief counsel, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and counsellors who practice therapy can be sought. Often, however, these professionals serve in adjunct roles complementing the primary interventions delivered by treating physicians, psychiatrists, or psychologists.
As with any problem, the road to healing begins with a thorough understanding of the problem and the options for corresponding treatment. Once accomplished, selecting the professional becomes a matter of personal preference for one treatment over another. There truly are multiple roads to healing and no matter which professional is initially contacted, they are all trained to steer clients down the best available path. It is always advisable to begin by contacting your regular physician for advice and a referral.
Additional Information on Psychological Practice
Ordre des psychologues du Quebec (OPQ)
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