Psychologists and psychiatrists. Two roles that support people’s mental health to help them thrive. Two careers that offer rewards for making a difference. And two terms that are often used interchangeably, even though they are distinct professions. So let’s break down the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. What each does, and what you need to do to work in either field.
Right: Psychiatrists diagnose, treat and prevent mental, emotional and behavioural disorders.
What is a psychologist?
Psychologists are registered health professionals trained in human behaviour. Their aim is to understand, explain and improve individuals’ mental health and wellbeing. As a psychologist, you’ll use observation, interaction and analysis, to delve into the complexities of the human mind. To understand people’s emotions. And explore the impulses driving their behaviour. A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology but does not have a medical degree. As a result, they cannot prescribe medicine or perform medical procedures – which is key a difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The eight types of psychologist
Sports psychologist: Help athletes enhance performance and deal with pressure. You’ll use techniques like cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness and visualisation to help sportspeople develop resilience, confidence and focus, and even the sense of loss that comes after retiring from a high-profile career.
Organisational psychologist: Work with businesses, government agencies and other employers to assess potential employees, and find ways to ensure the wellbeing of staff. You’ll use a range of techniques to assist with recruitment, and develop programs to engage staff, as well as feed into initiatives for leadership development, succession planning and career development.
Community psychologist: Work with groups of people to help them build
resilience and strengthen social support networks. You could choose to work with, for example, refugees or remote communities. You’ll collaborate with community members, organisations and policymakers, to create environments that support collective thriving and address social disparities, solve issues, manage change and address risks.
Health psychologist: In this role, you’ll work with people to understand the attitudes and behaviours that contribute to poor health outcomes and devise ways to change them. Plus boost health and wellbeing – from helping individuals cope with chronic pain or quit smoking to creating community wellness programs.
Clinical neuropsychologist: In this specialised role, you’ll assess and treat people with brain disorders that affect memory, learning, attention, language, reading, problem-solving and decision-making.
Counselling psychologist: Work across different areas to help people cope. You could provide therapeutic approaches for dealing with loss and grief, relationship difficulties or trauma. You can also assist with the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Forensic psychologist: Work in the justice system and use your psychological skills to help people navigate the legal system. You could also be involved in making assessments and collecting evidence for trials.
Clinical psychologist: Assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of psychological disorders and emotional issues. In this role, you’ll use a variety of therapeutic techniques to help individuals cope with their challenges and improve their mental wellbeing. You might also be involved in research, education and
public policy.
A view from the field
Associate Professor Gene Hodgins is a course director in psychology at Charles Sturt. He is also a clinical psychologist. Here’s why working in the role inspires him:
What sparked my interest was my lifelong curiosity in trying to understand ‘what makes people tick’, and also how to help people who struggle with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. One of the advantages of being a clinical psychologist is the incredible variety of work that is available – from working in hospitals to outpatient clinics, working with kids to the elderly, school settings, forensic settings, major organisations and government departments, through to NGOs and sporting groups.
How to become a psychologist
To become a registered psychologist you’ll complete six years of training. There are two options. Your first is to complete a three-year accredited undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by a two-year master’s, like Charles Sturt’s Master of Psychological Practice, and then a one-year internship. The second option is to complete a four-year accredited undergraduate honours degree, like our Bachelor of Psychology,1 followed by a one-year master’s, and then a one-year internship.
If you want to move into a specialised area of practice, such as clinical, organisational and sports psychologist, it takes eight years, including:
- a four-year accredited undergraduate degree in psychology
- a two-year endorsement master’s
- two years as a registrar.
Once you’ve completed all your educational and training requirements, you’ll register with the Psychology Board of Australia to practice as a psychologist.
What is a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor. That’s probably the main difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. As a psychiatrist, you complete medical training with a specialisation in mental health. You’ll diagnose, treat and prevent mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. Your training means you can prescribe medications to treat mental health conditions – and, crucially, ensure those medications don’t interact with any other prescriptions.
A psychiatrist can also order diagnostic medical tests, like imaging and lab tests. They can admit people to hospital if their mental health condition has become acute and requires immediate attention. Moreover, they can also perform medical procedures to treat patients, electroconvulsive therapy.
Five types of psychiatrist
There are a wide range of areas you can specialise in as a psychiatrist, including:
Child and adolescent psychiatrist: The clue is in the name. In this role, you’ll focus on treating patients under the age of 18. It requires nuanced knowledge of the physiological development of young people, and how medications or medical procedures affect it.
Geriatric psychiatrist: As Australia’s population ages, the demand for professionals who can provide medical services to older people is growing. Geriatric psychiatrists specialise in treating the specific needs of older people. Plus, they treat unique neurological disorders that tend to develop with age. These include dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other mental illnesses that can often develop because of those conditions, like depression or anxiety.
Addiction psychiatrist: Individuals experiencing drug and alcohol addiction often have mental health issues such as depression and trauma. As an addiction psychiatrist, you’ll treat someone’s addiction and those potential coexisting conditions. Besides uncovering the causes of addiction and working on behavioural change, an addiction psychiatrist may also prescribe medication to help patients cope with withdrawal and any mental illnesses.
Forensic psychiatrist: Combine your passion for understanding human behaviour with your sense of justice. Forensic psychiatrists specialise in mental health disorders that can lead to criminal activity. You’ll work in different capacities with the criminal and court systems. For example, determining if an inmate or victim is in a position to appear at trial. Or consulting with legal professionals on mental health-related issues in criminal, civil and family law matters.
Neuropsychiatrist: A neuropsychiatrist treats mental illnesses that are related to brain injuries, neurological diseases and problems of the nervous system. It combines brain science and psychological insight to help individuals manage these conditions.
How to become a psychiatrist
It won’t come as a surprise that if you want to be a psychiatrist – which, as mentioned, is a medical doctor – the first step is to complete a medicine degree. That’s a key difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. After you graduate, you’ll undertake a period of training as an intern in a hospital. After your internship, you can then register as a medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia. The next stage is to work in medicine for at least a year. That allows you to apply to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists for study their Fellowship Training Program. This program qualifies you to practise as a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand. It takes around five years, during which you’ll work as a registrar in hospitals and clinics, supervised by experienced psychiatrists.
Next steps
If you need any more info about the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist – and how to start your career as either of them – chat with our team of uni advisers.
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