Q:  What are the differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

A:  A psychiatrist is a medical doctor, who goes through a residency after medical school to specialize in the field of psychiatry.  They focus on helping patients manage the medications that they take to treat mental disorders.

A psychologist is trained in a doctoral program in psychology, typically resulting in a PhD or PsyD.  Some programs emphasize research only (i.e., experimental psychology, developmental psychology).  Others, such as clinical and counseling psychology programs, train scientist-practitioners.  That means that they are required to learn about research and conduct their own research, as well as learn how to provide therapy to clients with mental disorders.  The completion of a doctoral dissertation is required to earn the degree.  Clinical and counseling psychology programs also require their students to complete a pre-doctoral internship, which is a year-long work experience that usually takes place in a city other than where the student is attending school.

You can expect medical school plus a psychiatry residency to take you eight years to complete, whereas a PhD in psychology will probably take five to six years to complete.

Q:  I want to be a therapist, but I don’t want to be in school that long.  What else can I do?

A:  Consider professions such as licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed specialist in school psychology, school counselor, or pastoral counselor.  This article, from the Sanger Learning and Career Center at the University of Texas at Austin, gives an excellent explanation of some of the different mental health professions.

The National Association of School Psychologists has an informative website, as does the American School Counselor Association.  You can click here for information from the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Q:  How do I select an appropriate graduate program?

A:  There are two main things to keep in mind when selecting a program.  First, you want to make sure that the program provides at least the minimum amount of course work and practicum/internship to be licensed in the state where you would like to practice.  Second, explore whether there is a body that accredits graduate programs in your discipline.  Choosing an accredited program will position you for better career opportunities, since some positions require that a person has a degree from an accredited program.  Examples are:

• Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs
• American Psychological Association
• Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education
• Council on Social Work Education

Q:  What should I major in as an undergraduate student?

A:  That depends on many factors.  It is best to research the graduate programs that interest you to determine admissions requirements, such as specific course work.  Majors at Baylor that are relevant to graduate study in mental health are psychology, social work, and child and family studies.  In Texas, school counselors must have teaching experience, so an education major is most appropriate for those students who aspire to be school counselors.  It is also good to consider your skills and abilities, so you can choose a major in which you can excel.  A psychology major is a science, meaning that a student will need to take courses in neuroscience, statistics, and research methods.  It is important to do well in these classes to maintain a competitive grade point average for graduate school.

Obviously, there are many nuances to graduate study and careers in mental health.  If you have questions about selecting the path that will suit you the best, please contact us to schedule a Career Counseling appointment.