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10 Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist


Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors who deal with disorders that include mental and cognition problems. They are the licensed doctors who prescribe medications to the patients suffering from behavioral, emotional, or mental problems. The key Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist lies in their treatment approach—while psychiatrists focus on medical and drug-based solutions, psychologists use therapeutic techniques.

Psychiatrists use many ways of treatment that include medicines, psychotherapies or both to eliminate the symptoms of particular disorders.They first evaluate the patient and then accordingly they make a treatment plan.

Whereas the  study of the human brain, emotions and behaviour in depth  is done by psychologists. They are specialists who deal with it. There are plenty of other difference between psychologist and psychiatrist that you can know in this blog.

What is the need of Psychiatrists, and what does psychiatrists do?

Confused between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
Let’s clear it up with these 10 key differences!

Likewise other specialized doctors, psychiatrists are correlated with brain disorders and the malfunctioning associated with it. When some of the behaviors or symptoms of a particular disorder are not under control, then they are treated with certain drugs or medicines. Understanding the Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist helps in choosing whether therapy or medication is the right approach for such conditions.

Psychiatrists are doctors-

  • Who treats brain disorders.
  • Who Prescribes medicines.
  • Help in disorders like -Alcohol abuse,OCD,ADHD etc.
  • Keep a track on physiological and psychological health.
  • Treat complex disorders such as bipolar or multiple personality disorder.

Psychologist and Psychiatrist’s the difference?

Both professions deal with an individual’s cognition,mental,or emotional behavior.The core difference resides that psychologists can not prescribe medications and psychiatrists can. Best psychologists in India monitor the mental well being of individuals and they help them by using various therapies.

10 Differences between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist are:

Psychologist Vs Psychiatrist
Get clarity on the 10 Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist and make the right decision for your mental health. Book a consultation now!
  1. Psychologists provide psychotherapies, behavioral therapies, therapies for anxiety and more. Best treatment for depression in Gurgaon is available by a famous psychologist.
  2. Psychiatrists provide drug medications.
  3. Psychologists pay attention to the cause of symptoms, the psychological symptoms.
  4. Psychiatrists pay attention to physiological symptoms too.
  5. Psychologists are specialized in CBT, DBT, etc.
  6. Online marriage counselling, and child counselling in Gurgaon is offered by the best therapists in India.
  7. Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MBBS + MD Psychiatry), while psychologists have degrees in psychology (MA/MSc/PhD).
  8. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications; psychologists cannot prescribe medicines in India.
  9. Psychiatrists often deal with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, while psychologists address behavioral and emotional issues like anxiety, phobias, and stress.
  10. Psychologists use tools like psychological tests and therapy techniques; psychiatrists may recommend lab tests or brain imaging if required.

When to seek help from a Psychiatrist?

When the symptoms are uncontrollable for a patient suffering from a disorder like severe kinds of anxiety or panic attacks, then one should take help of a psychiatrist. The Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist becomes crucial in such cases, as psychiatrists are trained to manage intense symptoms with medical support.

Symptoms that tells one need a psychiatrist-

Disorder psychiatrists treat-

What are the types of treatments that a Psychiatrist uses?

famouse psychologist in india

Psychiatrists prescribe medications, and along with that, they can take advantage of psychotherapies too. This highlights the Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist, as psychologists typically focus on therapeutic methods, whereas psychiatrists combine both therapy and medication for treatment.

Type of treatments that psychiatrist use-

  • Antidepressants,typical or atypical.
  • Tranquilizers such as sedatives etc.
  • Serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
  • Perform MRI’s or functional MRI’s.
  • Perform computed tomographies.

When should one seek a psychologist?

One can consult a psychologist if he or she feels that they want to overcome compulsive thoughts or certain behavior related issues.

One can consult a psychologist to-

  • Get rid of eating disorders.
  • Get rid of personality disorders.
  • Get rid of substance abuse.
  • To deal with stress or anxiety.
  • To deal with sadness or grief.
  • To bring desired behavioral changes,etc

Type of therapies that psychologist use-

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy.
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy.
  • Therapies based on conditional and operational conditioning,etc.

Therapies vary according to the situation and the condition of the client.

Conclusion.

Psychologists and psychiatrists both play an important role. One can consult psychiatrists and psychologists according to needs and requirements. Understanding the Difference Between Psychologist and Psychiatrist is key to choosing the right professional for your mental health needs. It’s good to work towards your mental well-being by taking the right help. Lyfsmile offers the best mental health services and therapies. Consult a top psychologist in India for unlocking mental wellness!

FAQs.

How to be a psychiatrist?

After getting done with Mbbs graduation one can start pursuing post graduation in the field of psychiatry.By getting their MD degree one can practice as psychiatrist.

How to be a clinical psychologist in India?

You can kick start your journey of being a clinical psychologist in India after getting a degree of Masters in clinical psychology. After that  one needs to take an exam for entrance into RCI recognized institute for pursuing Mphil.

After getting done with Mphil one can settle as a clinical psychologist.

Will a psychiatrist help in treating seizures?

A psychiatrist will look into the case history of a patient suffering from seizure and will accordingly prepare the treatment plan. One can get consultation from a psychiatrist.

Will my therapist prescribe me medicines ?

Psychologists or therapists do not prescribe medicines for treatment. Psychologists or therapists perform psychotherapies that stand for talk therapies. They treat their clients by focusing on the behavioral changes that one can perform for alleviating the undesired symptoms of a particular disorder.

For Alzheimer or dementia treatment will psychotherapy work?

Neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer is associated with loss of neurons and is closely linked to malfunctioning of behavior and social identity of a person suffering from it. Psychotherapy provides relief to the patient as it deals with the psychological impacts and psychologically it helps the patient to be at peace all times as a condition like this needs emotional care. Psychotherapy provides the emotional support that one may need in this critical time phase.

It is recommended to give therapy sessions to the person suffering from this disease.

Can I go into the research field after becoming a clinical psychologist?

Depending upon the eligibility criterias you can definitely pursue academia or research. Research is a home for every stream and all the great discoveries originate from there. If you find that research is a thing for you or you want to dedicate most of your time to critical and scientific thinking then feel free to pursue research.

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