How to Choose the Right Psychologist or Psychiatrist
One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is take care of our health. And, that goes both for physical and for psychological health. For a long time, people have been neglecting the psychological part, thinking that they don’t really need to get any kind of help in order to feel better and lead better lives, and assuming that only those with serious mental health conditions need services from professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists. Fortunately, this kind of a mindset is changing, and everyone is nowadays becoming increasingly aware of the importance of taking care of their mental health and of, thus, getting professional help when needed.
Perhaps you should read this guide to different types of help you may get: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/psychiatrists-and-psychologists
Now, when you decide that you need to see a professional, then you may have some questions on your mind. For one thing, you may be unsure of whether you should see a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. And then, when we add psychotherapists to the mix, you may get even more confused about it all.
Additionally, you will also have the question of how to choose the right expert on your mind. Clearly, you don’t want to just make a random decision and hope that you’ll get the care you deserve. Instead, you want to find and choose great professionals that will undeniably offer you what you need. Well, that is a question that we will answer for you below as well, but not before we make sure you know which one of these pros you may need.
First, Which One Do You Need?
It is not a surprise that you are confused about which one of these experts to contact. If you’re not close to the entire world of psychology and psychiatry, confusing the two can be pretty easy. And then, as mentioned already, there’s also psychotherapy, as a separate profession, meaning that you may get even more confused.
Let me shed the confusion with a quick explanation here. To become a psychotherapist, you need to go through extensive education after you’ve finished your primary university studies, and both psychologists and psychiatrists may or may not decide to go that way. On the other hand, the Genesight psychologists vs. psychiatrists explanation offers a clear insight into how different those two professions actually are. The former study human behavior and emotions, while the latter are medical doctors who often study the biological aspect of mental health, and who can, thus, prescribe medication.
In the end, thus, which one you will need will depend on the specific condition you are dealing with. Usually, though, the best thing to do is talk to a psychologist, and let them refer you to a psychiatrist if necessary. And, of course, if you want to dig deeper into the roots of your problems, then you should get a therapist. The good thing is that all of these pros will collaborate with one another, thus providing the patient with the best possible care. So, schedule an appointment with one of them, and then let them advise you on what you should do next.
How to Choose the Right Expert for You?
Whether you’ve decided to go to a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a psychotherapist, one thing is absolutely for sure. You will want to choose a great expert to work with. After all, we are talking about your mental health here, and you definitely want to be in good hands. Let me, thus, tell you a bit more about how you can make the right choice.
First things first, you should ask some people you know if they may have any recommendations to share. Perhaps they know some great psychologists, therapists, or psychiatrists, or perhaps they know someone who knows someone… I suppose you get how that works. Word of mouth is definitely powerful here, and you should use it to your advantage.
Then, the next thing you should do is search for these professionals on your own. Use any directories you can find, and don’t forget to browse the Web, because you can nowadays find most of the information you need in the digital environment. Of course, to choose the right psychiatrist for example, as talked about here, you will have to do much more than simply find those directories and get recommendations. In fact, it is once you’ve made your list of potential candidates that the real research begins.
The real research should consist of you checking, above all, the qualifications of the experts you’re considering. Take a look at their education to see how qualified they are. Then, proceed towards checking how experienced they are as well, especially with those issues that you are dealing with, and don’t forget to inspect reputation through reading some reviews and generally finding useful information online. Naturally, you should also check the fees at which they offer their services, and then compare those, while keeping all the other factors in mind as well, so as to choose the perfect solution for your specific situation.
