I was told that besides giving you Xanax for anxiety, a psychiatrist tends to listen more and let you figure out your own problems, and an analyst becomes more involved in discussion with the patient. The bottom line for mental-health care is really a matter of what you can afford, how much time you want to devote to the problem, and, most importantly, the chemistry between you and the counselor you choose. Managed care has changed a lot about the way mental-health services are provided. On first glance that may seem like a lot, but this dollar amount also encompasses hospitalization for serious mental illnesses, which can mount rapidly and get very high. As you point out, there are various specialists within the mental-health field.
Psychiatrists are MDs, and they can prescribe medication.
Their medical training has concentrated on the treatment and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Psychoanalysts are usually a special subclass of psychiatrists who subscribe to Sigmund Freud's theories and follow a systematic approach to help you become aware of unconscious drives that affect your behavior. Generally, psychoanalysts sit out of sight while the patient reclines on a couch, recounting dreams, describing childhood incidents, and free-associating. They aim to inject themselves as little as possible in the unfolding of the patient's unconscious. Psychologists and licensed clinical social workers engage in interactive counseling, helping the patient unravel the interaction between their buried drives, past history, and the physical and social environment they live in - often also turning to dreams and childhood memories as tools.