What’s the Difference Between a Psychotherapist, Psychologist, and Therapist?
Dr. Tamar Gordon
Dr. Tamar Gordon is the founder and clinical director of the Gordon Therapy Group; Tamar Gordon Psychology, PLLC. Dr. Gordon is a NY and CT State licensed clinical psychologist and an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and evidence based mental health treatment for adults and children.
Dr. Tamar Gordon
Dr. Tamar Gordon is the founder and clinical director of the Gordon Therapy Group; Tamar Gordon Psychology, PLLC. Dr. Gordon is a NY and CT State licensed clinical psychologist and an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and evidence based mental health treatment for adults and children.
There’s this moment that a lot of people experience right before deciding to seek help. Something has just happened that upset you, and you realize you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and hoping for a different outcome. It’s time to make a change.
You look it up online, and suddenly things get very confusing. Psychotherapist, psychologist, therapist, counselor, psychiatrist. They all sound the same; you can’t figure out what the differences are. You’re not making any progress; you’re just making an effort to understand what any of it really means.
This is something that can be very confusing for anyone looking for a psychologist on the Upper West Side. The issue going on isn’t necessarily something you’re missing; it’s just that the terms may overlap and make things unclear.
The Core Problem: These Titles Overlap More Than You’d Expect
Let’s name this pattern. The three words psychotherapist, psychologist, and therapist are often used interchangeably. However, they are distinct from each other.
The reason is that different routes can lead to similar destinations, and at first glance, it seems like the terms define professionals who are doing more or less the same thing, even if they are not.
In simpler words, a therapist is a general term for someone in a helping profession, a psychotherapist is any kind of mental health provider, and a psychologist is a licensed mental health professional who has advanced training and a doctorate in psychology.
What Is a Therapist?
“Therapist” is the most general term of the three. It’s an umbrella term and not a specific license. Anyone could refer to themselves as a therapist if they are a/an:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Unlicensed Master Social Worker
- Licensed or Unlicensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT)
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Physical Therapist (PT)
- Substance Abuse Counselor
- Psychologist, psychiatrist, and other professions: e.g., occupational therapist or physical therapist
In other words, the term therapist does not describe a person’s training or area of expertise , but rather is a general term for anyone person who does therapy.
What Is a Psychotherapist?
A psychotherapist is anyone who performs mental health treatment. While the term is more specific to mental health treatment than a therapist, ithe term it does not constitute any specific training or specialization beyond that.
Similar to a therapist, a psychotherapist can have any of the licenses mentioned in the prior section except for Occupational Therapy (OT) or Physical Therapy (PT).
couples the Specifically, psychotherapists specialize in:
- Finding patterns in thinking and behavior
- Understanding the development of these patterns
Guiding people in changing those patterns that cause negative feelings and experiences
Psychotherapists help people identify mental health challenges and improve their mental health through talk therapy. There are many different trainings and approaches to talk therapy that a psychotherapist may learn or utilize, so it is important to ask a provider about their training and approach. Some of the therapy terms you may read about include:
Psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalytic therapy, interpersonal therapy, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), somatic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), exposure and response prevention (ERP) and others. Each of these has a specific theory and training that a therapist should be able to explain to you if they are competent in their field, and different approaches are appropriate for different problems.
What Is a Psychologist?
The role of a psychologist is the most defined, given that their training and role are more structured and more specific. It is not simply a matter of what they do, but it is a matter of the level of education and understanding of mental health treatment and diagnosis that they bring to the role.
- They have a doctoral degree, meaning they training are have spent a minimum of five years in post-college training and are trained to diagnose, assess, and treat.
- They tend to deal more with issues that are layered, meaning that there is a degree of understanding and evaluation that takes place.
- They bring a skillset that not all therapists possess, especially in terms of testing and understanding what is going on on a deeper level.
In other words, a psychologist is both a therapist and a psychotherapist.
Where People Get Confused Between the Terms
This is the role that is defined most clearly. A psychologist is a person with a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) and specific training in mental health. They are also licensed to make diagnoses, conduct assessments, and offer therapy.
The real difference is not so much what they do, but rather how they are trained to do it. If you are seeking a psychologist on the Upper West Side, you are seeking someone who understands your mental health, makes diagnoses, and provides a treatment plan that you can follow.
How to Think About Choosing the Right Fit
Rather than trying to understand what these titles mean, it is helpful to think about this in a different way. You’re not seeking a person with a specific title, you’re entering a process.
The right therapist is someone who can explain things in a way you understand and help you see patterns, not just focus on what happened. It’s someone who can explain things in a way that actually makes sense to you.
Someone who helps you notice patterns in how you think, feel, and react.
That doesn’t always mean focusing on every detail of what happened. The goal isn’t just to talk things through. Therapy is about understanding what’s going on. It’s about gaining insight into your patterns and about making real changes over time. So what matters most isn’t the therapist’s title. It’s how they approach the work
Final Thoughts
Most people assume that the hard part is figuring out the difference between a psychotherapist, psychologist, and therapist. But that’s not the hard part.
The hard part isfinding someone who can help you understand what is really going on in your life, and how to change how effective they are.
