I wannabe a psychiatrist!

[Britney]

Giella - I think the psychologist is more concerned with the way the mind works. In mental illness, a psychologist would treat a patient just from a therapeutic point of view. However, the psychiatrist deals with the mental health of a patient in the same way, a pulmonologist would deal with a COPD patient. i.e history taking, diagnosis, treatment. i.e medication or CBT, logotherapy (according to Mr Frankl himself ) Treat the physical symptoms e.t.c psychoanalysis. I think you know all this already though.. A psychiatrist can offer therapy, yet it seems to be widely accpeted that a clinical psychologist does most of these things. From my understanding, if you want to offer the treatment you can! Just because a clinical psychologist mainly offers the therapeutic stuff doesnt mean the psychiatrist doesnt have to go there. I guess by that time you would have your own niche, and know what kind of doctor you are & what services you want to offer I just feel the psychiatrist gets the best of both worlds. One would have all knowledge needed and with this, having the oppurtunity to cure broadly.....my two cents..

Britney x

[markyc]

Giella - I think the psychologist is more concerned with the way the mind works. In mental illness, a psychologist would treat a patient just from a therapeutic point of view. However, the psychiatrist deals with the mental health of a patient in the same way, a pulmonologist would deal with a COPD patient. i.e history taking, diagnosis, treatment. i.e medication or CBT, logotherapy (according to Mr Frankl himself )
Britney x

Also in relation to CBT it might be worth bearing in mind that Mental Health Nurses and other qualified mental health professionals can also practice CBT after initial training course.

[Dr. Dave]

I don't even know if this thread is still active, but just to add that very rarely would a psychiatrist possess
the training for or provide psychotherapy. This is very much the domain of the psychologist and more
recently, as mentioned above, allied health professionals. Psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioural therapy, and various other therapies are provided by psychologists. A psychiatrist is involved with the application of the biomedical model to mental health problems i.e. pharmacological interventions and ECT. That is not
to say they don't value or appreciate psychological interventions but rather medicine is what they are trained in.

[correctomondo]

Dr Dave - you're wrong!
A psychiatrist can specialise in psychotherapy just as they can in general adult, old age etc.
Psychotherapy is not just for those with a psychology degree.

[Dr. Dave]

Dr Dave - you're wrong!
A psychiatrist can specialise in psychotherapy just as they can in general adult, old age etc.
Psychotherapy is not just for those with a psychology degree.

Hey Correctomondo,

I am not questioning you for a second and I for one am pleased to hear that a psychiatrist can specialise in psychotherapy, I thought this was the case but surely this is rare?? I have only worked in an acute LD institution (not a great breadth of experience) and the psychiatrists there were moderators of care plans and medication, as well as, the mental health act status of patients. We had two secondary care psychologists that applied the psychotherapy approach. I am currently a psychotherapist and would be very keen on the psychiatry route if I were able to combine a knowledge of medicine with my current skills.

Regards

Dave

[psych1984]

Hi Dr Dave

Correctomondo is right in that psychotherapy is a sub speciality of psychiatry that you can choose as a specialist trainee. You might not have come across many in LD as those psychiatrists have generally chosen LD as their speciality. The vast majority of psychiatrists trained in psychotherapy tend to practise in adult mental health. But having said that they are quite rare. Ultimately trusts don't like it, why pay a psychiatrists to do psychotherapy when a psychologist can do it for cheaper and it has to be said sometimes more effectively.

In the real world the main difference job wise between psychologists and psychiatrists is psychiatrists prescribe, section, and get better pay and more power.

[correctomondo]

Sorry for my rather strong reply dave. I'm just really interested in psychotherapy and spent my elective surrounding by psychiatrists who have specialised in psychotherapy. I personally think that it is wrong for doctors just to take a biological stand on any disease. Health professionals, and the public alike, need to be more aware of other effective therapeutic treatments.