Psychiatrist -- These are physicians licensed by the Medical Board of California. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD). Like any medical doctor, a psychiatrist can prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists provide their patients with ongoing talk therapy, but these days, many psychiatrists focus on prescribing medication. Psychiatrists will initially meet with their patients for a 60 to 90 minute assessment, during which time, they ask questions about possible symptoms. From the information gathered, a psychiatrist will often prescribe medication during that first visit. Subsequently, the psychiatrist will usually meet with the patient every 1-3 months so that the psychiatrist can monitor and evaluate how the medication is working. Their services normally are more expensive than those of psychologists.
Disclaimer: the preceding description is a generalization of how psychiatrists work, and it is intended to present a typical framework. Of course, many psychiatrists work differently; some provide more talk therapy, some require more meetings, and some may rarely even prescribe medication.
Psychologist -- A psychologist as a doctorate degree (either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.) in psychology. Therefore, psychologists are frequently called "doctor" as well, but they are not medical doctors. A psychologist typically spends 4 to 6 years in graduate school to earn his or her degree, must perform thousands of supervised internship hours, and must pass a national and state licensing exam in order to call him/herself a psychologist. After completing these requirements, a psychologist is licensed by the Board of Psychology. A psychologist often provides talk therapy to his/her patients. These days, most psychologists see their patients once a week; however, many have found that more frequent sessions are beneficial. In some states, such as Louisiana and New Mexico, psychologists may also undergo additional training in order to provide medication to their patients, but psychologists in California have not yet been granted prescription privileges. Additionally, psychologists frequently provide assessment and testing for particular types of disorders. In California, with certain exceptions, only licensed psychologists may practice psychology independently.
Psychoanalyst -- A psychoanalyst is a person who has undergone extensive training in a particular type of talk therapy called psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis originated with Sigmund Freud over 100 years ago, but since then it has experienced countless transformations, modifications, additions, rebellions, factions, elaborations, etc.. Psychoanalysts work in many different ways, but typically, a psychoanalyst aims to understand the human experience; symptoms have meaning, patterns of behavior are rooted in something, and the exploration of oneself is crucial. Keep in mind, while becoming a psychoanalyst requires advanced training, there is no prerequisite degree. This means you will often find psychiatrists, psychologists, as well as people with master's degrees who undergo psychoanalytic training.
Psychotherapist -- This is a catch-all phrase. Almost anyone in the mental health field may call him/herself a psychotherapist or therapist.
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - These are professionals licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. They must have at least master’s degrees, 3,200 hours of supervised experience, and pass the Board’s examinations. They can provide counseling regarding marriage, family and relationship issues. They cannot prescribe drugs and have limitations in doing psychological testing. Their services normally are less expensive than those of psychologists.
Shrink -- This is a slang term for a psychotherapist.
Life Coach -- This is a relatively new term that doesn't have many regulations behind it. Anyone may call him/herself a coach. Like the term sounds, coaches usually focus on one particular issue and coach their clients on how to think or behave.
*Some of these terms are particular to the State of California, and other states may have variations or different regulations on these terms.
Thanks for reading,
Ryan Janis, Psy.D.
Beverly Hills Psychologist
http://www.drryanjanis.com/
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