Psychologists and Psychiatrists are mental health professionals who have been trained to help people restore or improve their mental health.
The difference is psychiatrists typically use medication as primary treatment method with some talk therapy as secondary; whereas, psychologists typically use conversations as a therapeutic tool to help people understand themselves and create positive change to their thinking and behaviors. Some psychologists also use other creative methods like play, and expressive arts like art, music, dance and drama to help people express their inner experiences.
Talking with a mental health professional is different from talking with a regular friend or family member. A professional is trained to listen to anything you say with more objectivity (compared to a friend or family member), and without judgement, so you can feel safe enough to share anything that you may not necessarily want to share with a friend or family. At the very least, just being able to ventilate the sense of losses and emotional burden that you’ve been carrying inside you for some time can be very healing for most people. Next is intention – sharing with friends/family is often a mutual process whereby you take turns to unload; whereas the professional is focused on helping you find a solution that could relieve your current distress and improve your mental health.