For the #psychlodpedia this week, we are going to go over four words that are often confused or misused.
Psychologist– These are counselors who can be doctorate-level but CANNOT prescribe medication. A psychologist is someone who provides talk therapy. Dr. Estavillo and Dr. Clark are the psychologists in our office.
LMFT– This stand for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. This means that LMFTs have been specifically trained to focus on families, relationships, and family systems. Nikki Aragon provides this service in our office.
Practicum Student– A practicum student is essentially an intern who is fulfilling their applied training for school. Kourtney is our current practicum student. She has her master’s degree and is working on completing her education to receive her doctorate-level degree.
Psychiatrist– Though we do not have a psychiatrist in our office, I added this title because we so frequently get this question. A psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner is someone who would work with you on medication management. Often times a psychiatrist and psychologist will exchange information about a client (with client permission) in order to best coordinate their care. If you are looking for a psychiatrist we do have referrals!
