Mental Health: Doctors Who Treat Mental Illness

Choosing the right doctor and/or therapist for your mental health needs may seem like a daunting task. But, finding the right doctor is an important step towards getting the right treatment. A number of different types of doctors can treat a mental illness, including the following:

• Primary care doctors: In many cases, your primary care doctor may diagnose and treat your mental illness. When necessary, the primary care doctor will refer you to a specialist.
• Holistic and alternative medicine doctors: These doctors are specialists in complementary and alternative medicines, holistic medicine, nutritional medicine and herbal medicine treatments. These doctors may be able to prescribe standard medications but often choose different approaches that may combine natural medicines with mental health therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). After these doctors determine appropriate wellness plans or treatments, they may recommend other mental health therapists such as life coaches, psychologists or psychoanalysts.
• Psychologists: Psychologists are trained to provide professional counseling on psychological and emotional issues. They can specialize in areas such as marital counseling, relaxation therapy, stress management or sex therapy. Psychologists are not allowed to prescribe medications.
• Psychoanalysts: Psychoanalysts follow Sigmund Freud's theories that painful childhood memories contained in the subconscious are the cause of emotional disturbances. Psychoanalysts are similar to psychologists because they usually deal with emotional issues and may prescribe medication (although they generally do not). Psychoanalytic therapy relies on the principle of transference, that is, a pattern of both conscious and unconscious feelings and thoughts about the analyst that reflect similar feelings and thoughts about other important figures in the patient's life (for example, parents). The goal of the treatment is to make the unconscious conscious so that the patient can begin to recognize maladaptive patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that are no longer relevant to their current life circumstances. While psychotherapy is usually performed on a weekly to monthly schedule, psychoanalytic sessions are conducted 4-5 times a week.
• Psychiatrists: These professionals specialize in the treatment of mental, emotional, or behavioral problems. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications and may establish therapy sessions to treat the patient.

The following are some suggestions to help you find the right doctor:

• Talk to trusted friends, family or clergy about professionals they may have seen or know
• Ask another health care provider for a recommendation
• Ask your health insurance company for a provider list
• Use a referral service from a national professional organization for therapists or doctors
• Call a local or national medical society or mental health organization
• Look in the phone book under categories including social service organizations and counselors

Prior to scheduling your first appointment, think about the things you would like to know about your potential new doctor and/or therapist. Questions you may want to ask about include:

• His or her education, licensure and years in practice
• Fees, lengths of sessions, insurance coverage and office hours
• His or her availability in case of an emergency
• His or her treatment approach and philosophy
• His or her specialization by age group or particular disorder

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology.