Do psychiarirst learn how to administer therapy?

[Confused123456]

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Hello,
I am torn between psychiatry and clinical psychology. The main deciding factor for me would be about therapy. I know for sure that clinical psychologists learn how to administer therapy but I would like to know whether psychiatrists learn how to administer therapy too.
The reason I just do not become a clinical psychologist is because there are almost no jobs available in my home country (I will be going to the U.K for my university studies).
If possible I would love a clear cut yes or no answer. I have read alot of articles about this and all that reading has done is to confuse me even further with some articles saying psychiatrists do learn therapy while others saying it is more drug-oriented.

Please give me some advice
Thank you very much

 

[vistaril]

Hello,
I am torn between psychiatry and clinical psychology. The main deciding factor for me would be about therapy. I know for sure that clinical psychologists learn how to administer therapy but I would like to know whether psychiatrists learn how to administer therapy too.
The reason I just do not become a clinical psychologist is because there are almost no jobs available in my home country (I will be going to the U.K for my university studies).
If possible I would love a clear cut yes or no answer. I have read alot of articles about this and all that reading has done is to confuse me even further with some articles saying psychiatrists do learn therapy while others saying it is more drug-oriented.

Please give me some advice
Thank you very much

yes, you can learn therapy. Go to a residency program where it is emphasized heavily(and not one where you you just go through the motions because it is required) and then pursue extra training on your own.

then again, when you are in residency you may realize that therapy is actually hard work and you'd prefer just sticking with meds. In my experience, most psychiatrists who say 'oh I do therapy' really don't. Sprinkling in supportive therapy or cbt concepts during a med check every 6 weeks is not 'doing therapy'.

 

[splik]

In the UK psychiatrists do not really learn psychotherapy. You would attend a psychoanalytically informed process group, and have to follow a case in cognitive-behavioral therapy, and learn the basics of psychological formulation but psychotherapy is deliberately de-emphasised and psychiatrists do not typically do psychotherapy because it just isn't cost-effective. Unlike in the US or Europe, it is almost unheard of for psychiatrists to provide combined psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. In fact medical psychotherapy is a subspecialty of psychiatry in which you specialise in CBT, psychoanalysis, or systemic therapy. There are very few training posts in these, and jobs are not being replaced as it is very expensive for psychiatrists to provide this service. These psychiatrist do not prescribe medications, they only offer therapy in contrast to some other countries. This is just the way things developed in the UK. It is possible to do additional training in CBT or psychoanalysis, systemic therapy if you so wish without specialising as a 'medical psychotherapist' but would have to pay for this on your own - psychoanalytic training in particular is long and expensive.

Clinical psychology training in the UK (not sure where you are from) is extremely competitive and actually only a small proportion of the training is in cognitive-behavioral therapy which is the main psychological treatment used by psychologists. Most psychotherapy is neither provided by psychologists or psychiatrists but others who have less training and have just trained in some form of psychotherapy. Clinical psychologists mainly do supervision, training, teaching, research, and treat more complex or 'high intensity' cases.

If you want to do therapy you would be better off training as a psychotherapist in whatever modality you so choose.

 

[touchpause13]

How does one go about finding out if a residency program focuses on therapy? I know I'm way ahead of the game, but I'm super interested in both child and adolenscent and therapy and idk if there are many residency programs which have emphasis on those things

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[shan564]

How does one go about finding out if a residency program focuses on therapy? I know I'm way ahead of the game, but I'm super interested in both child and adolenscent and therapy and idk if there are many residency programs which have emphasis on those things

Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile

The residency program will usually talk about their general focus on their website. Even if a program doesn't focus on therapy, they'll usually give you opportunities to learn it on your own if you want. Child/adolescent is a separate track/fellowship that's available at a wide variety of institutions.

As a general guide, programs in the Northeast tend to be more therapy-focused (with many exceptions).

You're right - you're way ahead of the game, but we're all like that in the medical world. But to address your real concern, you'll be able to easily find a place that trains you well in child and adolescent therapy. It may not be the strongest emphasis as most residency programs, but that doesn't mean that it's hard to find.

 

[zenman]

Hello,
I am torn between psychiatry and clinical psychology. The main deciding factor for me would be about therapy. I know for sure that clinical psychologists learn how to administer therapy but I would like to know whether psychiatrists learn how to administer therapy too. The reason I just do not become a clinical psychologist is because there are almost no jobs available in my home country (I will be going to the U.K for my university studies).
If possible I would love a clear cut yes or no answer. I have read alot of articles about this and all that reading has done is to confuse me even further with some articles saying psychiatrists do learn therapy while others saying it is more drug-oriented.

Please give me some advice
Thank you very much

Administer therapy...how the heck do you do that?