Life is full of unexpected problems. Occasionally we all need a little help. At other times, a little help is simply not enough. Sometimes we need medication to help us manage intensely painful feelings like severe depression or overwhelming anxiety, especially when those feelings are accompanied by medical symptoms like unintentional weight loss or crippling panic attacks. We also may need to talk with a psychiatrist because we need more professional or objective feedback than we can get by talking with friends, clergy, or loved ones.
Getting started
When trying to decide whether you need to see a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor, keep in mind that there are large differences between the types of mental health clinicians in practice today. It is true that psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can prescribe psychiatric medications, while psychologists and counselors cannot. However, that is not the only reason why you may want to start by seeing a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists have training in both psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. Some, like me, practice both. Others restrict their practice to pharmacotherapy alone. Some have many years of clinical experience, while others may have just completed their training. Some specialize in treating specific conditions, while others are more generalists. Some are recognized by their colleagues as delivering high quality care, and some are not. Choosing an individual to see from a list of clinicians with similar training and credentials, especially lists provided by insurance plans, can create the illusion that all clinicians are the same. We are not. Please consider both my training and experience when seeking help.
Distinguished Fellow: American Psychiatric Association
Board of Directors: American Psychoanalytic Association
President: Southwest Psychoanalytic Society
In the next section, you can learn more about how different mental health clinicians’ training and practice styles differ from one another.