When you are struggling and finally decide to get help, you run straight into a confusing question. Who do I even see? Psychiatrist? Therapist? Counselor? The words get thrown around like they mean the same thing, and they do not. Knowing the difference gets you the right help faster, so here it is in plain terms.
A therapist helps you through talking. Therapists and counselors do talk therapy. They help you work through your thoughts, your emotions, your relationships, and the ways you cope, usually over a series of sessions. They do not prescribe medication. For a lot of people, talk therapy is the right first step and is genuinely effective on its own.
A psychiatric provider can evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe. A psychiatric provider looks at what is going on medically. They can diagnose conditions and prescribe and manage medication when it would help. If your symptoms are affecting your sleep, your work, your relationships, or your daily functioning, or if talk therapy alone has not been enough, a psychiatric evaluation can bring clarity and open up options you may not have had.
Often the answer is both. A lot of people do best with a psychiatric provider handling the medication side and a therapist handling the talk side, with the two coordinating. At VPMC, our psychiatric and behavioral health care is provided by a board-certified psychiatric provider who evaluates and treats conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and more, and who works alongside your therapist and primary care team so everyone is on the same page. Because that care sits inside a primary care practice, we look at your mental and physical health together, which matters more than most people realize.
If you have been stuck on where to even start, that is normal, and it is not a reason to wait. Reaching out is the hardest part. We can help you sort out the rest.
Closing line: New patients are always welcome at our Lansdowne and Reston offices. Call (571) 206-8696 or book online at vpmcwellness.com.
