What is a Psychiatrist? What is the Difference Between a Psychiatrist and Other Mental Health Providers?

My name is Dr. Mills and I am a psychiatrist in California with my own private practice called Freedom Psychiatry, because Mental Health is Freedom! My practice focuses on achieving mental wellness using medication, nutrition, and lifestyle changes. I will be posting videos on a regular basis that answer common mental health questions.

 People usually approach me with questions about what a psychiatrist does and aren’t they the same as psychologists/therapists? It is easy to get confused when our society often only talks about mental health in a stigmatized manner if they talk about mental health at all.

So, today, I will answer the question, what is a psychiatrist and how are they different from other mental health providers?

Let’s start with what a therapist is. A therapist is someone who offers talk therapy, and they can be one of the following: social worker, marriage and family therapist, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

Social workers, counselors and marriage and family therapists usually have masters level degrees in helping people with mental health concerns using talk therapy only. A psychologist has a doctorate degree with either a research focus, a therapy focus, or both.

A psychiatrist, which is what I am, is a medical doctor (M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in helping people with their mental health. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications and sometimes will also use talk therapy as treatment.

A doctor who is listed as a psychiatrist has completed four years of undergraduate university, four years of medical school, and four years of additional specialty training known as residency.

When looking for a psychiatrist, I recommend ensuring they are Board Certified, which means the individual has passed a specific, rigorous exam after graduating residency and they are current with requirements for continuing medical education.

I also recommend speaking with the psychiatrist and asking questions before spending money for an initial session to see if you feel comfortable with them. Feel free to interview more than one psychiatrist to find a person you click with.

If you live in CA and want to speak with me about your mental health concerns, please click on Contact and schedule your free 15min consultation with me, Dr. Mills.

Thanks for reading and have a great day. Remember, Mental Health is Freedom!