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A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating mental illness, requiring three to four years of study after obtaining a medical license. They can prescribe medication and work in various settings, including criminal psychiatry and research facilities. Communication between a psychiatrist and a therapist is important, and patients should consider the doctor’s approach to therapy before starting treatment.
A psychiatrist is a licensed physician who not only holds a medical degree (MD), but who has further specialized in the field of psychiatry, which emphasizes the care and treatment of people with mental illness. This specialization requires three to four years of study after obtaining a medical license and involves treating people with mental illness in a variety of settings. In the United States, most people who specialize in this field take exams provided by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology to receive certification. For the patient evaluating psychiatrists, board certification is a good thing to look for because it indicates that the doctor in question has demonstrated sufficient knowledge in her profession.
Sometimes people confuse psychiatrists with other therapists. Only physicians may use this job title, and only they – not counselors, social workers, or psychologists – may prescribe medications or other medical therapies to treat mental disorders. Many of these specialists work in partnership with therapists and may only provide therapy or counseling related to medication issues, while a lead therapist provides most of the actual counseling. This isn’t always the case, however.
Other professionals not only prescribe medications, but also offer therapy, as they are trained to do so, just like any other therapist. In the United States, it can sometimes be helpful to find a psychiatrist who also maintains a therapeutic practice, as most health insurance companies treat visits to this type of medical professional like regular doctor visits. Visits to a therapist can be limited in some places, and in many states, health insurance only allows people a maximum of 20 visits to a therapist per year, which may not be enough to deal with chronic mental illness.
A psychiatrist can work in many settings, including hospitals, mental health facilities, or prisons. Others maintain private practice and still others consult with mental health facilities and maintain private practice. They may also work in research facilities, for pharmaceutical companies or may be part of investigative organizations such as the police force.
Some specialize in criminal psychiatry and examine people accused of a crime to testify about their fitness to stand trial or their mental health during the commission of a crime. In criminal trials, a mental health expert may testify for the defense, suggesting that a person cannot be held legally responsible for a crime because of a mental illness. As part of criminal investigations, psychiatrists can also create profiles to help the police narrow down suspects.
One of the primary duties of this physician in therapeutic settings is the diagnosis of mental illness and the determination of the course of treatment. In other words, he usually diagnoses mental illness and prescribes drugs and/or other medical therapies deemed more effective. Because some medications can have unwanted side effects and it can take time to find the right treatment for each individual patient, the doctor will continue to evaluate the patient until they are considered stabilized through medical therapies.
If a patient has both a psychiatrist and a talking therapist, one of the most important things to look for is the willingness of both parties to communicate with each other. The patient must sign any necessary medical releases so that these two doctors can work together. Because many treatments for mental illness primarily target both talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy and medications, doctors with conflicting opinions about treatment can create problems for the patient. It is often helpful to ask a therapist for recommendations for other health care professionals with whom you frequently work. Some practices employ mental health professionals of different types, which can make communication between these professionals easier.
When a psychiatrist actually uses talk therapy, it’s important to remember that there are many different philosophical approaches to treating mental illness. Therapists can be Jungians, Freudians, behaviorists, humanists, Gestalt therapists, or fall into a more loosely defined category. A patient may wish to ask her doctor about her approach to therapy before starting treatment to see if this is compatible with her philosophies about achieving good mental health.
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