Written by: Anna Pasternak / Treatment / November 11, 2020 / 5 minutes read

As a Speech Pathologist working in an adult clinic, I often get asked what the difference is between a psychologist, psychotherapist and psychiatrist. People who are experiencing social anxiety and come to the clinic to work on their speech and language, would sometimes like a recommendation to see a psychologist if necessary, especially if their anxiety is greatly affecting their daily life.

Working on the difficulties one is experiencing in their language due to anxiety can be targeted by a speech language pathologist. Also, with the anxiety that comes with these difficulties in language, a SLP can provide some counselling. However a psychologist can go deeper into the thought process and get to the root of what is causing that anxiety. In these situations I find that seeing a speech language pathologist and a psychologist simultaneously will provide the best results for whatever you are looking to receive help with.

But, what is the difference between these 3 professions? In order to find and pick the right person to see, you have to have a good understanding of what each profession does, even though they do overlap and focus on many of the same areas.

Psychiatrists come from strong medical backgrounds and they work with biology and psychology to assess, diagnose, and treat clients mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Psychiatrists are also medical doctors and able to prescribe medications if needed. Psychiatrists look at past experiences and traumas that one may experience and help you move forward past the problems you are experiencing.

A psychologist has a masters or doctoral degree and they are often researchers, but also work in hospitals, schools, and private clinics to help support their client with the behavioural and psychological issues that one is experiencing. A psychologist also assess and diagnose but does not prescribe medication. Psychologists help people understand their behaviours and how to change them. Psychologists ultimately help you to overcome the problems you may be experiencing through a variety of different treatment therapies. As psychologists can work in many different areas it is important to do the research to see what areas they specialize in.

A psychotherapist, similar to psychologists, work with people to overcome their problems. They provide therapy to help change the behaviours people may be experiencing. They also focus on marriage and family counselling to help ease the problems that people may be having. Psychotherapists also cannot prescribe medication. What makes psychotherapists different from psychiatrists and psychologists is that they often provide therapy through a range of different ways including ‘art and music therapy’ or just one-on-one sessions. Sometimes something like art therapy can be used to allow people to express themselves if they have difficulty doing it verbally. Psychotherapists help people improve their mental health in individual, family, and group therapy sessions.

All three professions work with what is going on in your life and mind. If you feel like you want to be assessed and are expecting a diagnosis it is better to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. If you are looking for recommendations for medications you can take, see a psychiatrist. If you are looking to get help with mental health and wellbeing and to have someone to discuss this with, then any of the three professions would be appropriate. If you choose to see a psychotherapist and they feel like you should be seeing a psychiatrist instead, then they will refer you to one. All three professions will provide guidance for you throughout the process so that you receive the best care possible.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.