Psychologist, Counselor or Therapist?

Getting help for a problem should be easy, shouldn't it? Finding a psychology specialist to help you deal with your inability to make a decision shouldn't involve having to make another decision! If you don't know the difference between a psychologist, a counselor or a therapist, don't worry, it's not as hard to comprehend as you might think.

The field of psychology continues to grow and evolve as our lives become more complex, harried and demanding. Counselors and psychologists are thriving and traditional and online psychology courses are seeing record increases in enrollment. The 2007–2008 school year alone noted a 40 percent increase in online education.

The stress of work and personal pressures take their toll on everyone—generations X and Y, baby boomers, grandparents who fret over health issues, and even young children, coping with the challenge of competitive learning or an aggravated fear of the school bully. According to Dr. Steven Patrick, a Dallas-based psychologist who has studied the semantics of psychology job titles, you can relax on this issue at least—the differences are few.

Psychology Schools are more Similar than Different

Dr. Patrick says that in a broad sense, there are no differences since all three—therapist, counselor and psychologist—are mental health professionals trained to help you solve various problems in your life. But in a more nuanced sense, there are significant differences:

• Counseling implies a short-term and very focused approach toward solving a patient's problems.
• Therapy, which is simply an abbreviated version of the term psychotherapy, utilizes a long-term and more in-depth approach.
• Psychology treats emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention. Psychologists are the assessors conducting psychological testing, which is critical in measuring a person's mental state, to determine the most effective course of treatment.

All of these specialists talk face-to-face with patients about their problems, and work collaboratively with them to develop effective treatment plans. But there are some variances in education and training that can affect the type of help a client might potentially receive—or afford. For instance:

• Typically the terms psychotherapist, psychologist and psychiatrist denote a practitioner with a doctoral level of training—either a PhD or PysD degree.
• A psychiatrist has an MD—a medical doctor degree—and is able to prescribe medications.
• A counselor is generally a practitioner with a master's degree

Counselors and therapists work with patients, referring them to psychiatrists if it is determined that medication is needed. The counselor or therapist, and psychiatrist, will work together to monitor a patient's progress and help him or her on the road to recovery

Collaboration Between Patient and Therapist

But even if counselors, therapists and psychologists work together to help patients resolve their problems and feel better about themselves, there is one thing upon which they all agree: how well patients resolve problems and conflicts has more to do with an individual's commitment to the healing process than with the therapist selected. This includes their willingness to get help in the first place, as well as the courage to stay on the sometimes long and winding road of the therapy process.

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