Video summary

What is the difference between Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists, and Counsellors?

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons (what the video is trying to clarify)

  • The speaker explains that people often confuse roles in mental health because the job titles sound similar.
  • The video compares psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors by focusing on:
    • Training level and pathway
    • What they can do clinically (e.g., medication, diagnosis, specific therapies)
    • Whether they provide evidence-based treatments
    • Key limitations and practical guidance for choosing help

Breakdown by profession

1) Psychiatrists

  • Who they are
    • Medical doctors
  • Primary function
    • Prescribe medication
  • Talking therapy
    • Usually cannot provide talking therapy
    • Exceptions exist, and the speaker says some psychiatrists may offer certain trauma-related treatments like:
      • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
        • Described as a trauma treatment
        • Uses eye movements, tapping, or sounds
        • Presented as evidence-based
        • Helps with trauma and anxiety
  • Why they usually don’t do full talking therapy
    • Proper talking therapy requires extensive training that psychiatrists typically don’t have
    • To see clients in private practice at consultant level requires a lot of time and training, making deep talking-therapy training less common

2) Psychologists

  • Training pathway (as described)
    • Psychology undergraduate degree
    • Doctorate to become a psychologist
    • The speaker estimates time dedication roughly as:
      • ~6–8+ years total (including undergrad, placements/work, doctorate, possibly masters)
    • Example from the speaker (who identifies as a psychologist):
      • 4-year undergrad
      • 3-year doctorate
      • 2 specialized postgraduate programs, including one in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
  • What they can do
    • Can deliver psychotherapy
    • Usually trained in at least two types of psychotherapy
    • The speaker emphasizes that psychologists who deliver talking therapy can also call themselves psychotherapists, with exceptions:
      • If the psychologist is doing research-only roles, they may not also be psychotherapists
  • Diagnosis
    • Implicitly framed as broader diagnostic authority compared with psychotherapists (see below)

3) Psychotherapists

  • Why the role is confusing
    • Psychotherapists may do similar work to psychologists, especially in private practice
  • Training differences and limitations (as described)
    • A psychotherapist may not necessarily be as qualified as a psychologist
    • The speaker notes doctorate level is not always reached (though some now do doctorates)
  • Limits on diagnosing
    • Psychotherapists are described as usually being unable to diagnose the full range of disorders
    • Some (especially those trained in CBT) can diagnose anxiety and depression
    • For more complex diagnoses (example given):
      • Borderline Personality Disorder → said to require a psychologist or psychiatrist for proper diagnosis
  • Diagnostic systems referenced
    • DSM-5 is mentioned as covering the wider set of disorders that psychologists and psychiatrists can assess and diagnose
  • Therapy quality
    • Psychotherapists can provide high-quality talking therapy when:
      • it’s within their area of expertise, and
      • they’ve been properly trained for the relevant disorder

4) Counselors

  • Training profile (as described)
    • Often trained in basic counseling courses and talking therapy
    • Typically person-centered / humanistic
      • Emphasizes the therapeutic relationship
      • Focuses on giving a space to open up
  • Evidence-based therapy
    • Presented as less likely to include evidence-based, research-proven protocols
    • Contrast:
      • Evidence-based therapies: researched guidelines, clear formulation, and specific toolkits for conditions
      • Counseling: may rely more on listening and relationship factors
  • Skills counselors typically provide
    • Active listening (including paraphrasing)
    • Holding a therapeutic space with:
      • boundaries
      • empathy
      • understanding
    • Might offer some feedback or insight
  • What counselors may not provide
    • Specific, highly structured, evidence-based strategies for particular disorders
  • Example contrast given
    • If someone has panic disorder:
      • evidence-based approaches (like CBT) provide specific proven strategies
      • the speaker claims a counselor is less likely to provide that level of researched, disorder-specific intervention
  • Positive value (still acknowledged)
    • Counseling can still be powerful because:
      • a trusting relationship helps with shame and emotional relief
      • a weekly space to explore issues can help people discover insights themselves

Practical selection guidance / “what to do” (instructions implied by the advice)

  • Learn the “rankings” and limitations

    • Counselors: often strong on relationship/listening but may not have evidence-based protocol depth
    • Psychotherapists: may have evidence-based expertise depending on approach/training, but diagnosis scope can be limited
    • Psychologists: described as trained for psychotherapy delivery with substantial training
    • Psychiatrists: typically medication-focused due to being medical doctors

  • Ask direct questions about training and credentials

    • For psychotherapists:
      • The term “psychotherapist” is not legally protected in the UK (as stated)
      • Therefore, ask:
        • What approach do they offer?
        • What specific approaches have they trained in?
        • How long was their training?
        • Can you access their CV / website information showing:
          • when they did training
          • whether courses were full-time and for how long (years)

  • Use professional bodies to verify credibility (UK-based, as stated)

    • Psychiatrists: RCPsych
    • Psychologists: HCPC
    • CBT therapists: BABCP
    • Psychotherapists and counselors: UKCP and BACP

  • Training-length benchmark (as stated by the speaker)

    • If a person has less than ~6 years of full-time training, the speaker suggests they may not be in a “good position” to offer therapy (used as a rule-of-thumb)

  • Start with evidence-based therapy before medication (strong advice)

    • The speaker recommends:
      • begin with evidence-based talking therapy
      • only consider a psychiatrist if talking therapy doesn’t work
    • The speaker warns against medication as the first step, citing anxiety cases where people are prescribed tranquilizers (example: diazepam for panic attacks) when strategies like expert CBT may be more appropriate

Sources / speakers featured (identified)

  • Main speaker (speaker identity)
    • A person who identifies as a psychologist (“i’m a psychologist myself”).
  • Organizations / professional bodies mentioned
    • RCPsych (spelled “rsc psych” in subtitles)
    • HCPC
    • BABCP
    • UKCP
    • BACP
    • DSM-5
  • Specific therapies mentioned
    • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
    • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Original video