Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTraining for PsychologistsMost Psychologists Cannot Prescribe MedicationsWhat Psychologists DoThe Role of PsychiatristsWho Can Prescribe Psychiatric Medications
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Training for Psychologists
Most Psychologists Cannot Prescribe Medications
What Psychologists Do
The Role of Psychiatrists
Who Can Prescribe Psychiatric Medications
Close
Often when people use the term doctor, what they’re referring to is a Doctor of Medicine, or M.D. Technically, though, anyone who possesses a doctoral-level degree is referred to as a doctor, including psychologists who will generally have either a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). So, in that sense, they are indeed doctors—not ones attending medical school.
It’s also important to note that, in some states, masters-level graduates are allowed to providepsychotherapyand psychological assessment under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist. So, if working with a mental health professional who has a doctoral-level degree is important to you, be sure to inquire about the specifics of their education.
Graduate training for psychologists includes a supervised internship as well as a year of supervised practice before gaining licensure. In order to become a licensed psychologist, professionals must also pass state and national examinations.
What Classes Do I Need to Become a Psychologist?
While psychologists are doctors, they cannot prescribe and administer medical treatments for depression, such as medications or procedures likeelectroconvulsive therapy(ECT) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
A psychologist primarily works in one of two areas: psychological research and administration or working with patients throughcounseling and/or psychotherapy.
Counseling tends to be a short-term type of intervention aimed at helping the patient work through their problems. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, involves working with the patient on a long-term basis to delve into their thought processes and way of being in the world in order to determine why they are experiencing the problems they are and how to better cope with them.
Although psychologists usually cannot prescribe medications, there are some exceptions to this rule.
Certain entities including the states of Illinois, New Mexico, and Louisiana as well as in the Public Health Service, the U.S. military, and Guam do allow appropriately-trained clinical psychologists to prescribe medication, but with certain limitations.
Can Psychologists Prescribe Medications?
While psychologists cannot prescribe medications in most cases, they do provide other essential mental health services. Licensed psychologists can diagnose psychological conditions, administer tests and assessments, perform psychotherapy, teach coping skills, and more.
Psychologists may help people with psychological problems such as depression or anxiety. They may also work to help people who are having short-term difficulties such as stress from a job loss or grief following the death of a loved one. These mental health professionals may also work with people who have addictions to alcohol or other substances to develop new coping strategies.
In most cases, if you need medications or other medical treatments for your depression, then you will need to visit a different type of mental health professional called apsychiatrist.
A psychiatrist is an M.D., which makes them qualified to provide prescriptions. These professionals are also trained in how to provide psychotherapy, although more and more psychiatrists are opting to concentrate on the medical aspects of treatment, preferring to instead refer their patients to another mental health professional to address the psychological aspects of their illness.
Differences Between Psychologists and Psychiatrists
Other Doctors Can Prescribe Psychiatric Medications
Other physicians, such as your family doctor, may also prescribe psychiatric medications and this can be a good option for many, especially if your case is not complicated and responds well to treatment with anantidepressant.
Seeing your personal physician is also a good idea in order torule out any other potential causesfor your symptoms, including certain medical illnesses like hypothyroidism and medication side effects.
Both psychotherapy and medications are able to help people with depression; and, often, people will do well with just psychotherapy alone or with medications alone. Other times, a combination of both will give the best results. In cases where a person’s depression has been difficult to treat or medications are not a good option, treatments such as ECT or TMS may provide better results.
How to Talk to Your Doctor About Depression
2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.What do practicing psychologists do? 2019.Magnezi R, Aminov E, Shmuel D, Dreifuss M, Dannon P.Comparison between neurostimulation techniques repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation vs electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of resistant depression: patient preference and cost-effectiveness.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1481-1487. doi:10.2147/PPA.S105654Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Psychiatry: Is It for Me?APA Practice Organization. About Prescribing Psychologists. Practice Central.Capella University.The Difference Between a PsyD and a PhD in Psychology.
2 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.What do practicing psychologists do? 2019.Magnezi R, Aminov E, Shmuel D, Dreifuss M, Dannon P.Comparison between neurostimulation techniques repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation vs electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of resistant depression: patient preference and cost-effectiveness.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1481-1487. doi:10.2147/PPA.S105654Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Psychiatry: Is It for Me?APA Practice Organization. About Prescribing Psychologists. Practice Central.Capella University.The Difference Between a PsyD and a PhD in Psychology.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.What do practicing psychologists do? 2019.Magnezi R, Aminov E, Shmuel D, Dreifuss M, Dannon P.Comparison between neurostimulation techniques repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation vs electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of resistant depression: patient preference and cost-effectiveness.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1481-1487. doi:10.2147/PPA.S105654
American Psychological Association.What do practicing psychologists do? 2019.
Magnezi R, Aminov E, Shmuel D, Dreifuss M, Dannon P.Comparison between neurostimulation techniques repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation vs electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of resistant depression: patient preference and cost-effectiveness.Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016;10:1481-1487. doi:10.2147/PPA.S105654
American Psychiatric Association.Psychiatry: Is It for Me?APA Practice Organization. About Prescribing Psychologists. Practice Central.Capella University.The Difference Between a PsyD and a PhD in Psychology.
American Psychiatric Association.Psychiatry: Is It for Me?
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