How to Find the Right Psychiatrist or Psychologist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialized training in diagnosing and treating mental illness. Psychiatrists often focus on prescribing medications. Psychologists often have a doctorate degree in psychology; they diagnose mental illness and provide individual and group therapy. Other mental health-care providers include mental health counselors, alcohol and drug abuse counselors, nurse therapists and marriage and family therapists. Understanding your own needs as well as the treatments that are available can help you find the best help.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn about your own mental health. Educate yourself about the specific reason that you are seeking a mental health professional. Investigate your symptoms and the type of help you need. For example, if you believe you require prescription medication, then you will be seeking a psychiatrist. If your symptoms are severe, this may be the best option. However, if you are looking for someone to give you mental-health treatment and therapy, a psychologist or other trained therapist may be a better fit. You might consider a combination of the two.

• 2

  Find a referral. A professional referral is a recommendation from another health-care provider, such as your medical doctor. Talking to your doctor may also help you to clarify the type of treatment you need.

  Also, request a referral from your health-insurance company, which can provide a list of covered providers in your area. Your job may also provide referrals through the company's employee-assistance program, often set up with a special phone number to protect your privacy. Other informal referral sources can include family, friends or clergy.

• 3

  Interview the provider before making a commitment. Call or make an appointment to get more information on the provider's services and discuss treatment options. Most mental health-care providers will want to conduct a formal assessment/interview with you prior to beginning treatment. Questions to ask before making beginning treatment include what their approach is to working with people, their philosophy, specialization and the types of treatment they provide. For instance, there are many forms of therapy including behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy, family therapy, expressive arts therapies and group therapy. Discussing the type of treatment is important, because some therapies work better for certain problems and individuals than others.