Psychiatrist, Therapist, Social Worker, LCSW, Psychologist... Who Should You See?

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
#katimorton #therapist #therapy

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[tuong]

I wanna be a psychiatrist. even tho I'm still 11, I'm working really hard in 5th grade right now and it's paying off.

[Emily-ztcj]

I want to be a psychologist. I’ve experienced severe mental illness first hand. I want to help other people. I start school in two weeks. :)

[swish]

I once saw a psychiatrist and she went right to "take this drug". I've been to 2 different counselors and they were more about getting at the root of my anxiety. Much prefer counselors but thats just been my experience.

[robertoa.cardonaquinones]

Hi Kati,
I'm a psychiatry resident and I just wanted to clarify that in order to become a psychiatrist, you need 4 years of undergrad, 4 of medical school and 4 years of residency. If you want to sub-specialize AKA Fellowship (such as Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist or Substance Abuse Psychiatry) you will need another 2 years for a total of 6 years in psychiatry training. I agree, it's a long road, but in the end it's worth it!!! Love your channel!!!

[TalkswithMellow]

Love the way she said "Twelve short years laterrr" Lmao I'm just now starting and it seems like a lot but I have a passion for helping others so I'm excited about it all. Can't wait to work in this field.

[laurachase]

Thank you for recognizing social work! So many people I know make the assumption that only people with psychology degrees can practice as therapists. I'm currently studying to get my bachelor's in social work, and absolutely love the field and its framework. It drives me crazy that it gets a bad reputation!

[missdesireindependance]

I feel everyone can benefit from therapy. I spoke with an advocate once and she was very helpful.

[mariahalysse]

Thank you for this video omg I have been wondering this for forever

[collegebro]

I'm an LPC-Intern, so I can answer any questions about "our side." There really isn't much difference between our professions, except we tend to deal with ALL issues in the community (which do include addictions and substance abuse) rather than focus on just one main area such as MFT like yourself. It's like choosing a physician vs a specialist.

Oh, and it took me 3 1/2 years, not 2, due to the revised 60 hr programs here in Texas, haha.

[jolenejoleeene]

My therapist is an LPC with a Masters in Education, and specializes in EMDR for PTSD. She is a life saver, and it took me 20 years to find a therapist I clicked with. I also have a great psychiatrist mainly for med management, and he is very thorough in communicating with both my therapist and primary care dr, as well as any other specialist I am seeing. It can take a long time to find the right professional support team for you, but it's a wonderful feeling when you have managed to do so.

[louisatomasiewicz]

I would like to emphasize to all that the level of education does not necessarily mean "better treatment".. I have seen psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and am currently seeing a bachelor of social work counsellor. She's personally been the most helpful for me - not because she knows more or less but because she. . .
A) has a lot of experience
B) has a good relationship with me.
She is the person I've felt safest with and been able to open up to most. This will be DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE..

Please don't get stuck trying to find the "best educated" professional, as honestly I did at the starting point in my own treatment. I then found my counsellor (because she was most accessible in a small town) and she's been amazing! I've worked with her for 5 years on and off and that's been okay with her as at times life will happen and I'll need help again. Sometimes an open and objective place is what you need more than a friend or family members support..
Hope you're all doing well and taking care of yourself!!

[insolubletoaster]

I love my psychiatrist. I've seen several counselors, therapists, and psychologists, but she's honestly the most genuine, caring, and warm clinician I've ever had.

[Slayer-zvho]

I’m a psych major, in my third year as an undergrad and I have no idea what any of the fields are in psychology. This video helped me tremendously.

[andrewnew]

1. I've recently come across your channel, it's great!
2. I'm a psychiatry resident and I get this question all the time as well. The only thing I would add about seeing a psychiatrist, is our focus on possible medical causes underlying psychiatric issues. Many ailments can cause depression / anxiety / psychosis. A thorough health screen with lab work should be strongly considered in anyone with an unknown health status, history of family medical problems, or new onset symptoms without any attributable social stressors.

[devynsunshine]

I found your channel today and it has brought me so much comfort. I am in school to become a therapist but also struggle with my own health, and you have assisted in educating me. Thank you.

[Psykldoc]

Great primer! I am a psychiatrist. Just a few notes, if I may: Counseling is NOT psychotherapy, though some people may find it very useful to their particular situations. Psychiatrists are trained to be able to provide any level of treatment, but medication management is what we mostly do, for many of the reasons Kati mentioned, including the fact that it’s the main thing that we can do that nobody else is qualified to offer. Incidentally, the psychiatry internship/residency is actually a 4 yr program, after medical school. We tend to oversee the treatment team, and will, for example, very often recommend psychotherapy, to be provided by dedicated psychotherapists, if appropriate, and if the patient has the financial and cognitive resources to make it a viable option. Overall, psychotherapy is much more expensive and time consuming than medication based treatment, but is a great modality, either as augmentation, or sometimes as a primary treatment, for most anxiety disorders and DEPRESSIVE mood disorders. Notably: Bipolar mood d/o and psychotic conditions are two examples of conditions that CANNOT be successfully treated without medications, full stop.

One other point that bears mention: a good psychotherapist is both MORE and LESS than a friend. They DO need to be someone you can trust, but, for a number of reasons, you DON’T necessarily need to “like” them, per se. (See “transference” for a deeper dive). In fact, if you’re able to talk about it, disliking your psychotherapist can actually become the key to an effective psychotherapeutic relationship! The psychotherapist is not there simply to validate your feelings. Think about it. They are agents of change, and change ONLY comes through conflict.

[michaelthearchangel]

You're a good person Kati, A ray of light in a very dark world.
 Don't ever stop being yourself.
You help a lot of people in part because you care so much.
God Bless.

[theanonymousasmrchanelguid]

People need to understand that psychiatrist are more interested in medicines than people. Therapist/Counselors build relationships because they talk to you more. If you wanna vent get a counselor, if you want drugs get a psychiatrist. It’s that simple. As for side effects, you can find that on the internet but you can always ask your psychiatrist about it after all they are supposed to be experts but they are highly overworked and stressed & sometimes they just don’t have the answers to everything. But if you know your own body and what works for you and you want your drugs, then tell them 🤷🏻‍♀️

[dancergirl]

Thank you for sharing this! I really want to be a psychiatrist when I'm older, and this really made things a lot more clear and I am much more confident that this is what I want to do with my life!

[GlenHunt]

Such an important installment!

I was diagnosed by a Psy.D., who then referred me to an LMFT. Confused me, but I learned the differences between the different flavors. Five years later, I have a feel for the type of professional I need to see next and can articulate the reasons why.

Thanks Kati!!