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Several kinds of professionals, with different types of training, can provide treatment for a wide range of mental and emotional needs. Psychiatrists are licensed physicians who specialize in the mental health field. They are the only mental health professionals who can take a complete medical history and understand the interactions of physical illness with emotions, and prescribe drugs. Their form of psychiatric treatment often combines drug therapy with psychotherapy. Psychologists have academic doctoral degrees in the field of psychology. They are not medical doctors, however, and cannot prescribe medication. Psychologists often use psychotherapy in treating their patients and refer patients to psychiatrists if and when they believe physiotherapy alone is not the correct treatment. Psychiatric social workers have academic degrees in the field of social work with advanced training in psychotherapy. Many of these practitioners are excellent counselors, but they do not have the depth of psychological training that psychologists do.
When you consult a professional, don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you wish. Remember, a consultation is not a commitment. The practitioner should help you understand your problem and should make a number of suggestions as to the alternative therapies available. A preliminary consultation will also give you a sense of what it would be like to work with that particular person.