What’s the difference between a psychiatrist, psychologist, a counsellor and a coach?

At a high level, psychiatrists are medical doctors and as such can prescribe medication for mental health conditions – such as, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD or bipolar disorder. If you are working with a psychiatrist, a lot of the treatment may be focused on medication management.

Alongside talking therapies such as psychology or counselling, psychologists offer counselling and psychotherapy and perform psychological testing for mental ill-health. They are not medical doctors but have a doctoral degree (PhD, PsyD, or EdD) in psychology, which is the study of the mind and human behaviour. Psychologists cannot write prescriptions or perform medical procedures.

Counsellors are mental health professionals who have completed an accredited training which qualifies them to work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change and/or enhance their wellbeing.

Coaches focus on helping people attain their goals in life. They might help you to get motivated, set goals, and hold you to account. Life coaching is not regulated nor offered through our platform at this time.