Hi Sharon,
Thanks for sharing your experience with your doctor last week. I sounds like you were able to gain a lot of insight into your past experiences.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who receive 4-5 years of specialized training (residency) in assessing treating mental illness. As medical doctors psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medications. Typically psychiatrists treat people by prescribing medications although some psychiatrists do some talk therapy (psychotherapy).
Psychotherapy is the practice of "talk therapy." A number of different professionals and para-professionals provide psychotherapy including psychologists, social workers, nurses and occupational therapists. Psychologists are doctors who usually have a Ph.D. from a university. Like psychiatrists, Ph.D. psychologists have 4-5 years of post-graduate training in th assessment and treatment of mental illness. However, psychologists are trained in "talk therapy" and usually do not prescribe medication. The training of other professionals who provide psychotherapy varies quite a bit. In fact, in a lot of places, you don't need any training at all to call yourself a "psychotherapist" so it is good to be a little bit careful.
Make sure that if you see "psychotherapist" that they are a professional who is registered with a professional college (Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy). As for specialist service, make sure that they provide the kind of service that you are looking for (behavior therapy, CBT, IPT, or CBASP for depression) and that they have plenty of experience the kind of problem that you have (depression). Ask the person what their credentials are, if they are registered with a professional college, how many people with depression they have treated and what their approach is. These are all fair questions to ask of any person who calls them self a professional.
Hope this helps to clarify the terms for you. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions. Keep us posted as to how things go on Tuesday.
Casey
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The Depression Center Support Team
