Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in mental health. Their training begins with a full medical degree, followed by advanced study in psychiatry. After qualifying, they may focus on specific areas such as general adult (18+) and older adult mental health (65+) and often work in community mental health teams, psychotherapy, or child and adolescent services (CAMHS), often employed in an NHS setting.

Because they are medically trained, psychiatrists can carry out physical assessments, order tests, and prescribe medication. Something most other mental health professionals cannot do, unless they have prescriber status.

Psychologist

Psychology explores how people think, behave and feel. Psychologists study the workings of the mind, including both everyday processes and mental health difficulties. Anyone with a psychology degree may use the title “psychologist,” but certain specialist roles, such as clinical psychologist, are legally protected and require additional accredited training.

Psychologists typically work in two main areas:

• Research, investigating how the mind functions to develop new understanding
• Applied practice, working directly with individuals using psychological knowledge and techniques

Psychotherapist

The term psychotherapy refers to a wide range of therapeutic approaches that use talking as the main method of support. Because the word covers many styles of therapy, some people use “psychotherapist” and “counsellor” to mean the same thing. In general, a psychotherapist helps individuals address emotional, relational and psychological difficulties by using structured therapeutic methods.

All psychotherapists are trained to understand interactions and relationships, but they way that they are informed to achieve this will vary based on their training modality, such as someone trained in CBT will take a cognitive focus, where as some one systemically trained will look at the context, when and where is this a problem, where is it not a problem.

The title “psychotherapist” itself is not legally regulated (yet but this is currently being explored), but certain variations, such as those registered with professional bodies indicate specific training standards and recognised qualifications. The length of training required to be accredited by professional bodies as a psychotherapist is usually more than two-years.

Counsellor

Counsellors use therapeutic conversations to help people understand their emotions, and work through challenges. For some, simply being able to talk openly in a supportive environment can be beneficial; for others, the counsellor may draw on particular therapeutic models depending on the issue.

As with “psychotherapist,” the title “counsellor” is not currently protected by law. This means it’s important to check any counsellor’s training, experience and membership of professional organisations to ensure they are appropriately qualified.