In a recent podcast of The Ranveer Show, a clip of a conversation between Ranveer (The host) and psychiatrist Dr. Sameer Parikh has been gaining attention among professionals and psychology enthusiasts. The Clip is a reel posted on the TRS Instagram page with the Caption, “Dr Samir Parikh on the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist 🤯”.
In the Clip, Dr Samir is seen telling Ranveer that a psychiatrist is someone who can prescribe medications and diagnose, Whereas a psychologist is not a medical doctor but is trained in the science of psychology. They focus on talk therapy, counselling, and various interventions to help people with their mental health.
After the clip was uploaded, many users showed discontentment with what was being said in the clip. For instance, one user @awkwardgoat3 commented on Instagram, “Clinical psychologists can legally provide an official diagnosis just like psychiatrists can. And therapy is more than just talking. Medicines are super important in lots of cases but for many people, it’s only a band-aid solution and helps manage the symptoms but not the core issue.”
Vishakha Kulratn posted it on LinkedIn, “While he correctly noted that psychologists are not permitted to prescribe medication, the assertion about diagnosing is incorrect IF said about clinical psychologists. Clinical psychologists are also trained and licensed to diagnose a wide range of mental health conditions using various assessment tools and diagnostic criteria, just as psychiatrists do. Our roles may overlap in many areas, but each profession brings unique skills and perspectives to the table.”
Another user Kirti Sharma on LinkedIn wrote, “Being in that leadership position, apparently leading an entire wing of a well-recognised Hospital, one should be very careful about every word- at least when it is recorded and revisited while editing before making it live forever.”
However, some comments were affirmative of the clip. Like this user, Shreyasi Das said “Did you know Dr Samir Parikh and his team of Psychologists from Fortis Healthcare during COVID-19 provided free online internships to many students? He has been doing so through summer school internships and many other forms of internships. Are y’all aware of this? I am hopeful that you are.”
with a different statement, Ravneet Kahlon wrote, “He never claimed or said that clinical psychologists are not authorised to diagnose. Maybe he was referring to a counselling psychologist rather than a clinical psychologist. But rest everything you wrote is accurate :)”
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a Psychologist?
Psychiatrist:
A psychiatrist is a medical professional who has completed an MBBS (Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery), followed by an MD (Post Graduate Degree in Medicine). A psychiatrist aligns with medical expertise where his work mainly focuses on medicinal intervention and diagnosis. The management is similar to that of any other health consultant where based on the symptoms, appropriate medicine is advised.
Psychologist:
There are various specializations in Psychology including Counselling, Rehabilitation, Child and Clinical Psychologist. Clinical Psychology majority deals with mental health illness and to be a Clinical Psychologist, a person gets a Bachelor’s degree in psychology (be it a B.A./ B.Sc. or hons./programming) followed by a Master’s degree (M.A./ M.Sc.) in Psychology and its equivalent courses.
After completion of the Master’s, a person pursues an M.Phil in Clinical Psychology or PDCP or PsyD to get the license to work as a Clinical Psychologist. Professional who works as a licensed clinical psychologist who is legally proficient in providing a diagnosis with accurate assessments.
What is the work of a Clinical psychologist? There is quite a big stereotype that psychologists just “talk”. Therapy is much more than just talking. There are various schools of psychology. Several therapy interventions are available that psychologists use by customizing them based on the needs of the client.
How do psychiatrists and psychologists work as a team? For different patients and clients, the need varies. Depending on the various aspects of the patient, professionals decide Medicine or therapy or Both.
Regulatory Authorities: The confusion might start with the fact that medically a psychiatrist can diagnose a mental disorder, whereas other organizations RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) give licenses to clinical psychologists for the right to diagnose with standardized assessment tools.
Note: People have to follow the expert opinion. They can suggest only medication, Only Therapy or both. Do not stop taking medication or therapy without consultation with your Psychologist/Psychiatrist.
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