What is a psychiatrist?

A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of mental illness. All psychiatrists graduate from medical school and, during their first year of internship, assume complete responsibility as physicians for diagnosing and treating the full range of medical conditions. They then complete at least three additional years of psychiatric training.

How are psychiatrists different from nurses, psychologists, and social workers?

The difference between psychiatrists and other mental health professionals is that psychiatrists are trained as physicians to diagnose both medical and mental illnesses, prescribe medicine, and provide a broad range of other therapies.

Are all psychiatrists psychotherapists?

Like all physicians, psychiatrists are trained to provide emotional support, education, and non-medical therapies, focusing particularly on the problems in which they specialize. In addition, all receive training in several types of psychotherapy and most use this training in their work.