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Expert Q&A
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| By Paul Coleman Psychologist Family Therapist | ||
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I am looking for someone for my daughter to talk to, and am confused by the different titles I'm finding. What?s the difference?
A psychiatrist has an M.D. degree and primarily assesses the need for medication and is able to prescribe medication. In the past, psychiatrists also did psychotherapy. They still can but most choose not to and instead just deal with the medication side of things.
A psychologist has a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Psy.D. or Ed.D.) and is trained in many types of psychotherapy. Some psychologists also do psychological testing. A psychologist is certainly appropriate for your daughter to talk to.
A licensed social worker has a degree in clinical social work, equivalent to a master's degree. A social worker does much of the kind of work a psychologist might do except for testing. The real key is years of experience and specialty, not whether a therapist is a social worker or a psychologist.
Terms like ""licensed professional counselor"" are vague. The fact that someone is licensed is important. It means that the person has the credentials that the state requires. Insurance companies will only reimburse for therapy services conducted by a licensed professional. In some states such as New York a person can call themselves a ""psychotherapist"" but not be licensed. (They cannot call themselves a psychologist or a psychiatrist, however, without a license.) In those cases ask a lot of questions about the therapist's credentials before you agree to be a patient."
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