Sometimes talking with other female friends, writing down thoughts and frustrations, or counting to ten are not enough to keep female depression and anxiety at bay. Circumstances are often beyond simple control: unemployment, high-stress work, post-partum blues, divorce/separation, female mid-life crisis (not just for the men), death, chronic illness, acute disease, identity crisis and so on.
To deal with such issues, it's sometimes necessary to meet with a psychological therapist. Although each type is beneficial, not all therapists are designed for the same kind of treatment. The more education a therapist has (example: a psychiatrist), the more likely they deal with the scientific side of therapy, such as administering medication. Social workers, on the contrary, deal with therapy as well as community outreach and aid. The following therapists counsel and treat women for depression and/or anxiety:
Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are MDs, or medical doctors. Having gone through medical school, clinical rotation, and residency, these professionals have the most amount of medical education. Psychiatrists focus on the medical side of female emotional health, and currently concentrate on medication dispension and monitoring.
Psychiatrists will know the most about the medical and physiological side of depression and anxiety. Unless the case is very serious, a psychiatrist might not be the initial therapist worked with. The following types of therapists can make recommendations for a patient to be evaluated by a psychiatrist.
Psychologists
Psychologists are highly trained in women's emotional counseling, psychological problem-solving, and rehabilitation. Their education focuses on clinical therapy, although they do have knowledge about the medical side of depression.
Psychologists have doctoral degrees in psychology, so although they are highly qualified to counsel patients, they are not licensed (like psychiatrists) to dispense medicine. A psychologist can determine if a patient might benefit from medication, and then he or she can refer the patient to a psychiatrist for this purpose.
Counselors and Social Workers
Counselors are trained in psychology and therapy practices. They often work for psychiatrists or at clinical practices. Counselors often have excellent resources at their fingertips, including support group contacts, community outreach programs, and such.
Social workers are similar to counselors in that they work to provide counseling, community outreach, and social welfare programs for women.
Both counselors and social workers usually have a master's degree level of education. They do not dispense medication, but instead refer patients to psychiatrists for medicinal analysis.
- For more information about women's emotional health, read Women and Friendship.
- For further information about women's health, please visit the ARTICLE INDEX.
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