Psychiatrist: A medical doctor that is trained in mental health medications.
Psychologist: A professional trained in talk therapy, cannot prescribe medications. A doctor in psychology can complete psychological testing.
Therapist: A professional with a Master’s degree. Specializes in helping you understand and change your thought patterns to improve relationships, feel more confident, better able to manage stress or anxiety, etc. Tends to be more long-term than counseling.
Counselor: A professional with a Master’s degree. This person helps you learn how to solve problems such as addiction, managing stress or anxiety, etc.
Primary Care Provider: This can be a doctor, nurse, or nurse practitioner. This provider is who you would meet for yearly exams and/or ongoing physical needs.
Nurse Practitioner: This is a nurse who has a Master’s or Doctoral Degree in nursing. This provider is able to complete exams and prescribe medications. Can be specialized in family medicine, elder care, psychiatry, and more.
What do these mean?
Psychological evaluation (psych evaluation): Can only be completed by a psychologist. This is an assessment that involves testing to gather information about your cognitive (thought) process and personality.
Psychiatric evaluation: This can only be completed by a psychiatrist. This is a mental health evaluation that also assesses medications.
Diagnostic assessment: This can be completed by any mental health therapist or counselor who can bill your insurance.
Neuropsychological evaluation (neuropsych evaluation): This can only be done locally at Essentia Health in Duluth. This is similar to a psychological evaluation but also assesses brain structure, development, and functioning.