Difference between Therapist and Psychologist
Although they both may seem to be one in the same, a therapist and a psychologist are very different. Although they are different they do both strive for the same common goal and that’s to help people get better at dealing with their problems. For starters both require a different amount of school as well as a longer amount of study time. Both can help people in different ways and some in the same ways. Their job is to try and make you mentally, emotionally and sometimes even socially ready for things in this world or in your life.
Definition
A therapist has a broad knowledge generally and has gone to school or gotten a certificate in therapy and maybe psychology, but it’s not a must. Some of them have gone to school for a few years and come out with PhDs or Masters. Since there is no degree per se for therapy, many times they work towards a social working degree, psychology or even a psych-nursing degree. A psychologist on the other hand will have a PhD psychology. They can do therapy or research which will be determined by if they focused on research psychology or clinical psychology.
Their Job
It may be hard to believe but these two professions have very similar yet different jobs. The common bond is they want to fix people and spend their time trying to help others. The difference is how they help one another. A therapist can be a social therapist, marriage counselor, student therapist or even a psychoanalyst. They try to help you deal with your feelings, make decisions and help you focus on fixing these problems so you can make better decisions. A psychologist goes a bit deeper into the mental and emotional psych of ones mind and heart. Psychologist will identify mental problems as well as emotional problems and figure out the best course of action from there.
Types of Patients
If you’re not sure if you need a therapist or psychologist hopefully this will help you to figure out which one would be more beneficial to you and your situation. Individuals who need help to settle their feelings from substance abuse, being cheated on, marriage issues or other issues where one just can’t deal with their feelings then a therapist may be what you need. For those who have a mental problem or are going through deeper troubles like abuse or trauma then a psychologist will definitely be more beneficial and pragmatic.
Summary
- A psychologist is trained and has studied in strictly psychology with a PhD or Masters and can be trained on clinical psychology or research psychology.
- A therapist may be trained on various subjects like social work, family counseling, psychiatry and even substance abuse.
- They both provide guidance and support to help people with their problems and emotions.
- Many psychologists work hand in hand with psychiatrist (MD) while others don’t believe medication is the answer and will work alone.
- They both try to untangle ones feelings and help them think clearly and get along better in the world.
