What’s the Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychologist?

Knowing Where and Who to See for Mental Health Support

The multiple names and functions specialists have in the large field of mental health services may easily overwhelm one. Two of the most regularly used yet sometimes confusing are psychologists and therapists. 

Knowing the differences will enable you to choose the most competent therapist in Houston for either personal or professional purposes.

Whether your path of recovery calls for personal growth, trauma, anxiety, or tension, knowing whom to turn to starts your healing process. 

So let’s clarify these jobs and lay down the distinctions between therapists and psychologists and how each may benefit your mental health.

Clarifying the Definitions of the Terms

A Therapist is what?

“Therapist” is broadly defined. It may refer to numerous kinds of certified practitioners offering counseling or talk therapy. These could comprise:

• Licensed Professional Counselors or LPC
  
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or LMFT
  
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers or LCSW
  
• Psychological experts
  
• Psychologists
  

Mental health therapists generally assist individuals, couples, families, or groups with mental health problems, emotional challenges, interpersonal conflicts, and more. If you search for a therapist in Houston, you can come across experts with different backgrounds each with special therapeutic modalities.

A Psychologist is someone:

Who holds a doctorate degree,  either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) and is a mental health practitioner. 

Training in the study of human behavior, emotions, and mental processes, psychologists have advanced training with more extensive requirements to attain licensure.

Though they are also educated to do psychological testing, diagnostic assessments, and academic or cognitive evaluations, psychologists often offer treatment much like counselors or social workers. 

Often dealing with clients with difficult mental health issues such bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, or personality difficulties, they are highly trained in diagnostic skills and development of treatment plans.

Educational Backgrounds

Therapists and psychologists differ mostly in their training and educational background.

Profession	Typical Path of Education
Therapist	Masters degree (MA, MS, MSW) in social work, psychology, or counseling
Psychologist	Ph.D. or Psy.D.; with a 2,000 hour supervised internship and postdoctoral experience

This variation usually affects the range of services they may provide and the kind of work they undertake in research or clinical environments.

Services Provided: Evaluation vs. Therapy

Therapists Offer Talk Therapy

A therapist in Houston might be your best choice if you want someone to discuss daily stress, marital difficulties, parenting concerns, or emotional development. Therapists often use techniques including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT)
  
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
  
• Mindfulness-Based Approach
  
• Trauma-Informed Approach
  
• Couples and family counseling
  

Therapists work on helping clients create coping mechanisms, enhance communication, control emotions, and increase self-awareness.

Psychologists Offer Assessments and Therapy Too

Apart from offering treatment, psychologists are also very suited to administer psychological tests. This covers:

• IQ assessments
  
• Personality evaluations
  
• Evaluation of ADHD
  
• Neuropsychological assessments
  
• Learning Disability evaluations
  

Should you or someone you know need a formal diagnosis or thorough psychological assessment, a psychologist might be the best fit. Many psychologists also provide treatment, particularly for complicated mental health issues requiring a more advanced clinical knowledge.

Licensing and Control

States license psychologist in Houston TX as well as therapists. In Texas, specifically:

• Depending on their qualifications, a Houston therapist could be licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, or Social Work Examiners.
  
• The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists licenses mental health providers.
  

To maintain a professional license, both professions must practice ethical behavior, adhere to state guidelines, and participate in continuous education.

Medication Prescription: Are They Capable?

This is a frequent query.

• Medication is not something most therapists can prescribe.
  
• Except in a few jurisdictions with specific prescription authority for very qualified psychologists, psychologists in most states including Texas cannot prescribe drugs either.
  
• Conversely, medical professionals known as psychiatrists or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners may write prescriptions for psychotropic medication and often collaborate with psychologists or therapists in a treatment program.
• Often, a primary care provider is comfortable routinely prescribing medication for anxiety and depression.
  

Should you be working with a therapist or psychologist in Houston TX and medication seems appropriate, they may send you to a psychiatrist for assessment.

When Should One See a Therapist?

If you’re looking for a therapist in Houston and find yourself:

• Overwhelmed, nervous, or sad
  
• Undergoing a significant life transition, divorce, loss, job change
  
• Handling family or interpersonal problems
  
• Looking for personal development and understanding
  
• Striving for trauma healing
  
• Wanting to enhance emotional control or coping mechanisms

A competent therapist creates a secure environment where you may be heard, understood, and encouraged to develop. At Relate Psychological Services therapy is considered as a bridge, guiding and carrying you over from suffering to healing.

When Should One See a Psychologist?

Should you find yourself needing a psychologist, you:

• Need a professional diagnosis or psychological evaluation
  
• Have complicated or long-standing psychological problems
  
• Need testing for cognitive functioning, autism, learning impairments, or ADHD
  
• Are undergoing treatment for major mental illnesses
  
• Want empirical understanding of behavioral trends

Ideal partners in both therapy and professional consultations, that is, for school placement, legal assessments, or workplace accommodations, psychologists are very adept at transforming assessment data into useful insights.

Selecting a Provider in Houston

Houston is a dynamic and varied city with plenty of mental health experts. But selecting the correct Houston therapist calls for more than a Google search. This is what to search for:

• Experience with your particular issues: anxiety, loss, trauma, etc.
  
• Evidence-based practices: specialized instruction
  
• Cultural awareness and proficiency
  
• Safe, comfortable healing environment
  
• Effective communication and sympathetic presence

Our psychologists at Relate Psychological Services have expertise dealing with first responders, healthcare practitioners, seniors, high-functioning people, and more. We are here to assist you in moving forward professionally and sympathetically whether your goals are clarity, healing, or development.

Conclusions

Though caring, competent practitioners abound in the area of mental health, appropriate help depends on an awareness of their duties.

Using talk therapy, a mental health provider guides you in processing emotions and developing coping mechanisms. Offering both treatment and official tests, a psychologist provides sophisticated training, research findings, and diagnostic tools.

The good news is: You are not alone in having to decide. See a reputable mental health practitioner to help you decide whether to see a therapist or a psychologist if you’re not sure either way.

We are here if you live in Houston and you need someone to walk with you throughout the trials of life. We are also available in these 43 states via telehealth services. One session at a time, discover how a competent Psychologist at Relate Psychological Services could help you heal, develop, and flourish.