Types of Mental Health Professionals I Psych Central

For example, a social worker may work at a psychiatric hospital to provide psychotherapy or help people reintegrate back into the community after discharge. Other counselors might address issues related to mental health, such as marriage or addiction counselors. Counselors and psychotherapists are terms some people use interchangeably.

Consider searching online or talking to your primary care physician to find someone in your area. In the mental health field, both counselors and psychotherapists are mental health professionals. However, counseling focuses on treating specific situations that an individual is presently dealing with.

For example, your primary care doctor could prescribe medication while you’re working with a counselor or therapist. Your PCP and trained mental health professional should work together when assembling the best treatment plan for you. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental illness. A psychiatrist's training starts with four years of medical school and is followed by a one-year internship and at least three years of specialized training as a psychiatric resident. A psychiatrist is trained to differentiate mental health problems from other underlying medical conditions that could present with psychiatric symptoms.

Learn how to choose the right therapist, get the most out of your therapy or counseling sessions, and evaluate your treatment progress. UR Medicine 産業医 provides an array of mental health and wellness outpatient services for individuals 18 years and older. Psychologists have a degree in psychology and are experts in human behavior. They use scientific methods to study the factors that influence people's thoughts, perceptions, emotions, and actions.

They specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues. During their specialized training, psychiatrists study the brain's functions and the complex relationship between the body and brain. They are qualified to distinguish between physical and psychological causes of mental and physical distress. Social work is a broad field and may support people with mental health problems in different ways. They may work with other mental health professionals to provide help.