Untangling the Web of Mental Health Professionals

So many mental health professionals to pick from, so little time. I have answered these questions numerous times, as I'm sure many mental health professionals have: What is the difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist? What do Marriage and Family Therapists do in comparison to Social Workers? How do I decide who I should see?

To begin with, it seems important to understand that Psychiatrists are the only ones who can prescribe medication. They are trained as medical doctors and have to do rotations just as all medical doctors do, but they specialize in mental health disorders, diagnosis, medication prescribing and monitoring, etc. Although your general practitioner can prescribe medication, it is often a good idea to see a Psychiatrist for medication to treat a mental health issue as this is their specialization. Psychiatry can also be broken down into Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Adult Psychiatry. As medication can differ for children and adults, it is a good idea to see a Psychiatrist who specializes in the age group in which you, or your family member, falls. A Child Psychiatrist may be more knowledgeable about how large of a dose to give to a child, what side effects could be more prevalent in children, and how long it will take their bodies to adjust to beginning medication and tapering off of it. Psychiatrists sometimes conduct individual therapy in addition to prescribing and monitoring medication, although many focus specifically on working with patients to find the best medication to meet their needs. Psychiatrists can help with more mental health issues than you probably care to read about right now, but it can range anywhere from mild anxiety, sleep disturbances, and slight depression, to Obsessive Compulsive tendencies, hallucinations, or phobias, to name a few. In addition, the best way to ensure that you are receiving thorough treatment would be to allow your Psychiatrist to communicate with your therapist so that they can work together and make sure that they are on the same page. You can sign a release of information so that they may communicate about your treatment.

Next up are the Psychologists. They are in fact doctors, but they aren't medical doctors as Psychiatrists are, they are either Doctors of Philosophy (with a PhD) or Doctors of Psychology (holding a PsyD). It seems that a couple of states allow Psychologists with proper training to prescribe medication due to a shortage of available Psychiatrists, but for the most part, and definitely in California at this point, Psychologists are not involved in prescribing medication. Psychologists can be found in universities doing research and/or teaching, or they may work in a clinical setting providing Psychotherapy. There are several different specializations of Psychology, but the ones that you find in a therapeutic setting are most often Clinical Psychologists or Counseling Psychologists. Not only can they diagnose and treat mental disorders by providing therapy with many different theoretical perspectives and techniques, but they are also able to conduct assessments that help determine such things as Learning Disabilities, Mental Illnesses, Intelligence, and Developmental Disabilities, to name a few.

Last but not least, people often get confused about what the differences are between Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT). In order to be able to call yourself an LCSW or MFT, you have to have a Masters Degree and have completed very specific requirements, including thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience, and have passed a licensing exam. The differences in the training of Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists can be quite varied or very similar, depending on the graduate program that they attend and the internships and work experience that they are exposed to. In general, Social Work programs may focus a bit more on accessing resources and services in a person's environment while also treating mental illnesses through the use of therapy. MFTs are trained to provide therapy for mental illnesses along with relationship issues and often utilize a systems approach to understanding and treating mental health issues. Overall, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between the professions because there is a significant amount of overlap between them.

Are you still with me here? Hopefully you are not completely confused by the descriptions offered here on the simiarities and differences between Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists. Due to the fact that there is such a huge overlap between the mental health disciplines, it is important to keep many points in mind when trying to pick a therapist. Ask yourself some questions while shopping around for a therapist and trying to pick one:

• Is their education level important to me?


• How long do I want to be in therapy? Do I want to take my time dealing with this issue and my past, or would I like to focus on the present and find a solution fairly quickly?


• Am I comfortable with this person's personality? Do I feel at ease with them and do I feel accepted and respected by them?


• What is their therapy style and is that going to be a good fit for me?


• What experience do they have with the issue that I am going to them with?

Ultimately, make sure that you are comfortable with the person that you decide to see so that you will be able to open up to them about personal concerns and feel that you can trust them. It is a lot easier to determine which therapist is going to be the best fit for you if you go on your gut instinct and level of comfort, rather than just by what degree or license they possess. If you are feeling uncomfortable with something, the best way to approach the situation is usually to discuss your concerns with your therapist before making a determination that you want to switch therapists, but it is your right to do so. Good luck with your search!

Turtles Know Best

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you drove for 20 minutes and couldn't remember any of the drive once you arrived? Or you scarfed down a meal in a hurry and then it occurred to you that you didn't taste anything you just ate? Well it happens to us all from time to time. It's difficult in today's fast-paced, fully-booked, and technology-driven world to slow down and really notice what is around us. When you're in a state of automatic pilot, you may be on a mission to get somewhere or to do something important, but in the meantime, you are missing the present. As the popular saying goes, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why we call it the present." This could not be more true, but we often forget to embrace the present moment in the hustle and bustle of every day life. Learning how to be more mindful can really increase your quality of life, as well as the quality of your relationships, your happiness, and even your health!

What does it mean to be "mindful?" Well, this term is often used along with meditation, meaning that you pay close attention to such things as your breathing and focus in order to slow yourself down and clear your mind. When you are taking a walk, you can be more mindful and observant of your surroundings by "getting out of your head" so to speak, and noticing the little things around you. Look at the beautiful flowers growing in your neighbor's garden, notice the scent of the ocean, feel your muscles work hard as you climb a steep hill. Noticing the little things around you (or in your body) will help you to feel grounded, reduce stress and anxiety, and most of all, help you to appreciate each moment as it comes. Likewise, listening attentively to what a friend, family member, or partner is saying to you can help to improve your relationship, as they will know that you care enough to put your focus on them. This will make them feel important and special, and can only improve the quality of the relationship. Giving another person this type of attention and quality time is the best gift you can give them, and it will feel great when it is reciprocated as well!

Now you may be wondering why a picture of a turtle was included with this article. Not only do I think that they have the right idea by taking their time getting from place to place (not to say that people should be late, but slowing down the pace can help with observing your surroundings) but I also wanted to share the beautiful details in the turtle's shell. I'm assuming that the average person has not spent very much time looking at turtles' shells, and this seems to be a great example of a time when it would be great to be mindful of what is around us. If we rushed past it, we wouldn't have been able to observe or appreciate the natural beauty that has been there all along.

I encourage you to try it for yourself- sit quietly and observe the colors as you watch the sunset, while taking some slow, deep breathes. Smell the scent of the roses the next time you pass by a rose garden, and really breath it in. Listen closely to what your child is telling you and give them your full attention by facing them and maintaining consistent eye contact. I bet you will notice a feeling of satisfaction and calm come over you from making these small changes in how you use your time.

The Beginning

Where do you begin when you want to start something totally new? You've always wanted to do something, like get into a new career, move across the country, start a new hobby, go back to school, etc. For me, the new beginning is developing my own private practice as a therapist. It is something I have always wanted to do--I mean think of the freedom and flexibility that comes with working for yourself! It comes with a lot of responsibility, of course, but this new chapter in my life has been a long time coming. I'm entering it with excitement, passion for helping people, enthusiasm, creative juices flowing, and many questions about how it will go. I've learned though, in the past few years, that when you really want to do something, you have to just start somewhere. It may sound really simplistic, but the starting is often the most difficult part. It takes one step at a time to reach our goals. Baby steps sometimes. But once you begin to accomplish those little goals and get that sense of satisfaction and joy that comes from seeing your hard work and dreams come to fruition, it ignites a fire in you that leads the way for continued steps and achievements. It's the challenges that you overcome and the fears that you face that bring you the most happiness, confidence, and sense of accomplishment. Isn't that what life is all about?

Having received my Masters in Counseling 10 years ago, I thought I would be licensed and working for myself several years ago. I suppose I had many goals to achieve and dreams to bring to life, so my professional goals took a backseat to my personal goals. I had always wanted to live somewhere that was warm and sunny most days with the ability to be outside almost any day of the year, rather than stuck in the rain, snow, and cold weather that I experienced for most of my life in New Jersey. In 2004, I finally built up the courage to make the big move across the country to (usually sunny but not so much this week) San Diego. Along with this great move and ability for a fresh start in an amazing new city, I ended up a few steps behind in my career. Many obstacles were thrown in my way, as I had to repeat many hours of supervised experience that I had already done in NJ, as well as take additional classes to meet the requirements of California. This was a long and expensive road that I traveled down, but rest assured, it has helped me to prepare for the new big step in my life and career, private practice. I have also learned along this long and often bumpy road, that it is the most difficult of circumstances that have made me into who I am today. It has given me the confidence to continue on toward my goals, rather than turning around and going in a different direction. It has made me stronger and tougher and ready to face the challenges ahead.

With all of that said, I hope that I can assist others in overcoming challenges, leaping over obstacles rather than tripping and falling on them, and making their dreams come true. I'm confident that I can help others to identify whatever is getting in their way and help them to work through those issues, whether it is relationship problems, depression, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed with stress, having trouble starting on their goals, or whatever it may be. I have also learned that it is very important to appreciate the little things and feel grateful for what we have---I have always wanted an ocean-view office and now I have an ocean view blog, so that is a start, right?! :)