The main differences among these professions are the scope of the evaluation performed, the degree of case difficulty requiring specialized training and expertise, the ability to prescribe medications, the training and expertise to administer and interpret psychological testing, and training in experimental and applied research. Mental health professionals employ approaches similar to psychotherapy by drawing upon theories of personality development and theories regarding cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning of clients. They are the only mental health professionals legally authorized to prescribe any medications. Both psychiatric residency training and elective postresidency fellowship training focus on working with either adults or children. The cornerstone of child psychiatric training is the body of knowledge about child development.
Psychiatrists provide evaluation and treatment of children, adults, and families.
1 Psychology Psychologists either have a doctorate in philosophy, which emphasizes both clinical training in psychology and training in scientific research, or they have a doctorate in clinical psychology, in which the primary emphasis of training is clinical work rather than research. The average length of graduate training is between 5 and 7 years. Psychologists provide evaluation and treatment of children, adults, and families. They are the only mental health professionals accredited to perform psychological testing and evaluation. For the purposes of this manual, the focus will be on clinical practice or the provision of assessment and psychotherapy.