Re: Psychiatrist/psychotherapist/psychologist what is best?

[Anonymous]

Psychiatrists- medically trained, free in Canada, hard to access, utilize categorical definitions (i.e. they like little boxes and labels), can prescribe meds but do not do psychometric testing

Psychologists- graduate studies training, typically require third party funding or fees, easier to access, utilize broader definitions of pathology including dimensional systems, are able to make an ADHD diagnosis but are constrained by the fact that they can’t rule out medical causality, do not prescribe meds but can do psychometric testing.

Both are good. They often, and should often, work together.

Any psychologist who has a Masters level or higher is usually qualified. Any physician who has an MD is qualified though a lot depends on further training and experience.

There are bad physicians and bad psychologists. They are typically few, luckily, and they often carry reputations ahead of time that you can find easily by asking people. The problem with being good is that a patient may have restricted access as they will be filled up and not seeing new patients.

Not surprising, some doctors have gone to creating “fees” which are basically a way of capitalizing on their virtual monopoly. There is nothing they provide that makes their assessment better. This applies to physicians and psychologists.

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