Psychiatrist, Psychoanlalyst, Psychotherapist

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What is the difference in becoming a psychiatrist, psychoanlysis, and psychotherapist? What are the qualifications of becoming each profession?

-- Dorothy Jenkins (jenkins@umbi.umd.edu), September 03, 2003

Answers

Psychiatrists are MDs with a specialization in psychiatry. The can prescribe phamaceuticals. Psychoanalysts are trained in the Freudian style of therapy. In North America they are required to be MDs first, but not in Europe. There are no qualifications for being a psychotherapist. Anyone can hang out a shingle and use this title. The category you have missed is clinical psychologist. They have PhDs in psychology and have passed a licensing exam in their state or province. They cannot (except in New Mexico, I think) prescribe pharmaceuticals.

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), September 04, 2003.

Actually several of the American psychoanalytic institutes now allow lay psychoanalysts, and there are now some clinical psychologists who are psychoanalysts. People who practice psychotherapy generally are required to have some sort of state license. But they may be clinical social workers (MSW), marriage and family therapists trained at the master's or doctoral level, pastoral counselors, clinical psychologists, alcohol and substance abuse couneselors, and a variety of other things. You can learn more about it by checking the web sites for state licensing boards.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@earthlink.net), September 04, 2003.

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