Mental health professional

A mental health professional is a person who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health and/or researches in the field of mental health.

Mental health
"Mental health has been defined variously by scholars from different cultures. Concepts of mental health include subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others. From a cross-cultural perspective, it is nearly impossible to define mental health comprehensively. It is, however, generally agreed that mental health is broader than a lack of mental disorders." 

Types of mental health professionals
There are many types of mental health professionals varying in education, experience, certifications, and specialties.

Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are the most well known of mental health professionals. They are medical doctors and one of the few professionals in the mental health industry who specialize and are certified in treating mental illness using the biomedical approach to mental disorders including the use of medications.

Psychiatrists may also go through significant training to conduct psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy; however psychologists and clinical psychologists specialize in the research and clinical application of these techniques. The amount of training a psychiatrist holds in providing these types of therapies varies from program to program and also differs greatly based upon region.

Specialties of psychiatrists
As part of their evaluation of the patient, psychiatrists are one of only a few mental health professionals who may conduct physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests and EEGs, and may order brain imaging studies such as CT or CAT, MRI, and PET scanning. A medical professional must evaluate the patient for any medical problems or diseases that may be the cause of the mental illness.

Historically psychiatrists have been the only mental health professional with the power to prescribe medication to treat specific types of mental illness. However, in certain regions, Physician Assistants, psychiatric nurses, and psychologists may also have the authorization to prescribe such medications.

Educational requirements for psychiatrists
Typically the educational requirements to become a psychiatrist are substantial but differ from country to country. In the United States one must complete their Bachelor's degree, then 4 years of medical school in order to earn their M.D. or D.O., then must practice as a psychiatry resident for another four years. Psychiatry residents are often required to complete at least four post-graduate months of internal medicine or pediatrics and two months of neurology during the first year. After completing their training, psychiatrists take written and then oral board examinations. The total amount of time required to complete post-baccalaureate work in the field of psychiatry is typically 8-9 years.

Psychologists
A psychologist is a scientist and/or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human behavior and mental processes. There are many subsets in the field of psychology dealing with mental health, the most common being clinical psychology.

Clinical psychologists
Clinical psychology is the application of psychology to problematic mental distress in a health and social care context. It is a specific subset of Psychology. Clinical psychologists assess mental health problems; conduct and use scientific research to understand mental health problems; develop, provide and evaluate psychological care and interventions.

Specialties of psychologists
Psychologists who focus on treating mental health specialize in evaluating patients and providing therapy. There are a wide variety of therapeutic techniques and perspectives that guide practitioners, although most fall into the major categories of Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Humanistic, Systems (e.g. family or couples therapy), Gestalt, Existential and Transpersonal. In addition to therapy, psychologists are also trained to administer and interpret psychological personality tests such as the MMPI and the Rorschach inkblot test, and various standardized tests of intelligence, memory, and neuropsychological functioning. These tests may aid in the diagnosis of patients' condition (particularly in severe or complex cases) and help guide treatment planning.

Educational requirements for psychologists & clinical psychologists
While psychologists are not medical doctors, they have achieved a Ph.D. or Psy.D., both doctorates, instead of a medical degree (an M.D. is also a form of a doctorate). Their form and scope of practice is therefore very different from that of psychiatrists; in fact, it is common that a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist work together in providing therapy. Those with Ph.D.s in psychology have had to submit a major original contribution in their field in order to be awarded the degree which includes substantial postgraduate training in mental health, psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and psychosocial interventions and meet state or provincial licensing criteria. Ph.D.s in the field of psychology and clinical psychology tend to be awarded from universities. The Psy.D. program, which has slightly more focus on practice, is usually considered more of a professional degree (much like professional schools for medicine & law). The amount of time required to complete graduate work in the field of psychology & clinical psychology is typically 6-8 years dependent upon several factors.

Clinical social workers
Clinical social workers assess, diagnose, intervene and treat individuals, families and groups with bio-psychosocial problems or disorders. They partner with an MD if they feel medication should be part of their treatment. State licensing boards and national certification boards require clinical social workers to have a masters or doctoral degree (MSW or DSW/PhD) from a university. The doctorate in social work requires submission of a major original contribution to the field in order to be awarded the degree.

Nurses
Psychiatric nurses or mental health nurses work with people with a large variety of mental health problems, often at the time of highest distress within hospital settings.

Other professionals
There are also many types of therapists that may hold a Ph.D., a master's degree or a bachelor's degree. Other practitioners include but aren't limited to licensed marital and family therapists, marriage, family and child counselors, licensed professional counselors, and licensed mental health counselors.

These professional licenses are issued by U.S. states or other national or regional certification boards to graduate degree holders and license them to practice clinical mental health counseling and, usually, nonmedical psychotherapy.

Similarities & differences
The most significant differences between mental health professionals are specialties, education, and experience. Most qualified mental health professionals will refer a patient or client to another professional if the specific type of treatment needed is outside of their scope of practice. Additionally, many mental health professionals may sometimes work together using a variety of treatment options such as concurrent medication & therapeutic techniques.