What is a psychologist?
Psychologists are social scientists and/or professional health care providers with training and expertise in the areas of human behavior and psychological health.
As social scientists, psychologists have conducted extensive research, over the past 100 years, to further our knowledge about human behavior, human development, psychological problems, the measurement and understanding of personality characteristics, and other important areas of knowledge about how people think, feel and behave.
As health care professionals, psychologists apply what they have learned about human behavior, human development, psychological problems, the measurement and understanding of personality characteristics, and other important areas of knowledge about how people think, feel and behave, to help people resolve personal adjustment problems, overcome emotional illness, and sek a better understanding of themselves. A professional psychologist has broad knowledge about human behavior, and understands how to apply that knowledge to help people change.
What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
Psychologists and psychiatrists both provide treatment to individuals with emotional problems. Psychology is both a profession and an independent scientific discipline. Psychiatry is a specialization within the field of medicine.
There are many similarities in the treatment provided by psychologists and psychiatrists, and there are also many differences.
- Psychology is founded on the study of all human behavior, both normal and abnormal. Psychiatry focuses on the treatmnt of emotional illness.
- Psychologists focus on the environmental and learning-based causes for emotional problems. Psychiatrists see emotional problems as a medical illness process, based on some abnormality or malfunctioning of the human body.
- Psychologists help people control and change their own behavior as a primary method of treating problems. Psychiatrists prescribe medication as a primary means of changing people’s behavior.
- Both psychologists and psychiatrists assume that complex emotional problems are more likely to be the result of both biological and psychological causes.
How long does psychological treatment usually take?
Most psychologists will tell you that the length of treatment depends upon the nature of the problem, the severity of the problem, and the treatment goals selected.
A vague response like this can be frustrating, but rest assured that most individuals complete psychological treatment within three to six months. When psychologists say that the nature of the problem affects the length of treatment, what they mean is the kind of problem being treated. For example, a serious depression requires more treatment than a mild stress response, or counseling to make a life decision. The severity of the problem also affects treatment length and intensity. (Intensity refers to whether sessions are scheduled twice weekly, weekly, or less frequently. The norm is once per week.