Related topics: •  Depression Center •  Therapists: How to Find a Good One

The type of therapist you choose is less important than the emotional connection you make with that person. Studies have shown that successful therapy depends more on fit than on technique or training. Still, the array of choices can be confusing. Should you go with a psychiatrist or a psychologist? What's a licensed clinical social worker? What exactly does a marriage and family therapist do? Here's a rundown on the kinds of practitioners who offer talk therapy. Any one of them may specialize in such issues as anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, sexual abuse, sexual dysfunction, couples or family therapy, divorce or separation, and child psychology.

These are MDs with three years of training in a psychiatric residency program. They're the most expensive therapists, charging $90 to $210 or more per session. (Doctors who are psychoanalysts must also complete many years of additional training at a psychoanalytic institute.) Psychiatrists are the only therapists who can prescribe drugs, and most of them choose to concentrate on either medication consultations or psychotherapy, although some do both. (Most people see a psychiatrist for medication and a less-expensive therapist for counseling.) A psychiatrist might prove particularly helpful if your emotional problems are related to physical ailments or if you have pronounced physical symptoms: blackouts, memory lapses, severe headaches, numbness or tingling, dizzy spells, shortness of breath, significant weight loss, seizures, heart palpitations, heavy sweating, tremors, or slurred speech.

If you live near a medical school, you might consider therapy with a psychiatric resident. These are doctors who have recently completed medical school and are counseling patients under the supervision of a more experienced doctor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss their patients' progress. They generally charge $30 to $60 per session, or a third of the normal rate for psychiatrists. However, if you're looking for someone who can work with you for a year or more, make sure your resident is not nearing the end of the three-year training period.

These therapists have earned a PhD by completing four years of graduate school and a one-year internship in a psychotherapy clinic. Psychologists in private practice have gone through two more years of supervised clinical experience and passed an exam in order to become certified. Psychologists often have more extensive training in psychotherapy than psychiatrists do. They generally charge $60 to $150 per session. Since studies have shown that cognitive-behaviorial therapy and interpersonal therapy are both effective ways of dealing with depression, you may want to look for a psychologist who practices one of these types of therapy or integrates techniques from these approaches into their sessions.

Some clinical social workers have as much training as psychologists do. In about half of the states, they must have a master's degree or a PhD and three years or 3,500 hours of supervised clinical experience in counseling; they also must pass an exam in order to become licensed. You can expect to pay between $55 and $110 per session.

These counselors are relationship specialists. They help people become more satisfied and productive in their marriages, families, and other social situations. An MFT may have a master's degree or PhD and must undergo the same amount of training and testing as a clinical social worker in order to become licensed.

A pastoral counselor can be a good option if you belong to a church, synagogue, mosque, or some other religious institution. These advisors can help you work on your problems within the context of a supportive community, and they generally won't charge you much, if anything. However, their training may be less formal than that of other therapists.

-- Kate Lee is a former associate editor at Consumer Health Interactive and researcher at Time Inc. Health. She is currently a senior editor at BabyCenter.

References

Last updated January 20, 2009
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

or find more on:

Back to top of page