What is the Difference Between the Various Types of Behavioral Healthcare Providers?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Psychiatrist: An individual who has obtained an M.D. degree and has completed postdoctoral specialty training in mental and emotional disorders. A psychiatrist is able to prescribe medications for mental and physical health needs, (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Medical doctors can also prescribe medication for mental health conditions, however it’s important to note that they have not had as much extensive training in diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. It is more common for a psychiatrist to prescribe medications for mental health related conditions as they have specialized training in these conditions. Some psychiatrists provide psychotherapy in addition to medication as treatment for mental health disorders. Some refer clients to other mental health providers for psychotherapeutic services, as it is normal for individuals who require such services to work with a team of mental health care providers.

Psychologist: An individual with a doctoral degree in psychology from an organized, sequential program in a regionally accredited university or professional school, (American Psychological Association, 2014). Psychologists focus on clinical practice, obtain thousands of hours of clinical experience, and can enter into a private practice. They provide services such as psychological assessments, testing, and psychotherapy. Psychologists receive specific training in diagnosis, research, and psychotherapy. They work independently or within a group setting and provide a wide range of services.

Marriage & Family Therapist: An individual with at least a Master’s degree or higher, who specializes in providing psychotherapy to individuals of all ages, couples, families, and groups for a wide range of mental health conditions. These therapists must obtain thousands of hours of direct clinical experience and supervision. They also receive extensive training in diagnosis, research, and psychotherapy. Clinical Social Workers – Clinical social workers complete a Master’s degree in social work (M.S.W.) and carry the LCSW title if they are able to practice psychotherapy (Licensed Counselor of Social Work). Most programs require these professionals to go through direct clinical experience and focuses on teaching principles of social work and psychotherapy.

Psychiatric Nurse – Psychiatric nurses are trained as registered nurses (R.N.) and then receive specialized training in psychiatry and some forms of psychotherapy. Psychiatric nurses in most states may also prescribe the same kinds of medications that a psychiatrist can.

Licensed Professional Counselor – A Master’s level professional in mental health or a related field who is specially trained to provide psychotherapy. License requirements vary from state to state. They are trained to work with individuals, families, and groups to treat mental health, behavioral, and emotional conditions. Other – There are many behavioral health care providers. Each state governs the license requirements and these guidelines are intended to protect the public by limiting those persons qualified to practice to those defined by the state laws. A good way to determine which health care provider is best for you is to consider your unique circumstances and needs along with the health care providers experience, credentials, and background.

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What is the Difference Between Counseling and Psychotherapy?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

What is the difference between counseling and psychotherapy? Is there a difference? This answer can be a bit confusing at times, but put simply these terms have similar meanings among individuals in the helping profession and are often used interchangeably. There are some subtle differences among the terms, however most of the time they may be referring to the same concept or idea.

The nature and purpose of psychotherapy is to promote growth and self-discovery in an interactive and safe environment. Psychotherapists are specially trained to use therapeutic techniques and interactions in order to treat psychological conditions. Psychotherapists use a wide range of different techniques based on theoretical concepts to increase an individual’s overall sense of well-being. The American Psychological Association defines the term psychotherapy as, “Any group of therapies, used to treat psychological disorders, that focus on changing faulty behaviors, thoughts, perceptions, and emotions that may be associated with specific disorders” (APA, 2014). Essentially psychotherapy is a term used to describe a therapeutic process that occurs between a therapist and a client; this process is interactive and collaborative, and aimed at improving emotions and behaviors.

Counseling has a broader meaning and is defined as, “the act of consultation, exchanging opinions and ideas from a knowledgeable or specialized person”(Merriam-Webster, 2014). Typically counseling refers to a specific consultation regarding a particular problem or symptom. Therefore one can receive counseling from an individual who is educated or skilled in any specified topic, for example legal counseling, finical counseling, or psychological counseling. In the mental health profession a counseling psychologist is defined as, “A psychologist who specializes in providing guidance in specific areas” (APA, 2014). These specialized areas can include substance abuse, marital conflict, school problems, vocational selection and more. Counseling psychologists may also use a wide range of therapeutic techniques to help treat a variety of psychological problems.

Psychotherapy is generally a longer process that usually focuses on chronic emotional or psychological problems, where as counseling is typically shorter in duration and focuses on a specific problem. Counseling often involves giving advice and directive guidance regarding an issue that is currently taking place, while psychotherapy may aim to explore past events, thoughts, emotions and the impact these have on thoughts and behavior. There is a lot of overlap between the two terms and there meaning. Individuals who are trained to provide psychotherapy may also provide counseling, such as Psychologists and Marriage and Family Therapists, a Counselor may or may not be trained to provide psychotherapy, such as a Vocational Counselors.

Contact Dr. Parisi for low cost therapy in Chicago, Mt. Prospect, and surrounding areas including Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Barrington, Hinsdale, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Park Ridge, Evanston, and Wilmette.

What is a Psychotherapist or Counselor?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

A psychotherapist may also be referred to as a counselor and is a person who works with individuals, couples, families, and groups across all ages, to help them deal with a wide variety of psychological problems or emotional issues. Psychotherapist and counselor are terms that are often used interchangeably. A psychotherapist provides therapy to assists people with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, and stress. These feelings are normal, although sometimes they can become overwhelming and impact our daily activities causing a significant amount of distress. Psychotherapy, or counseling, can help provide guidance in managing difficult emotions and behaviors. Psychotherapists provide therapy, also called psychotherapy, to help support people and teach them ways to cope and deal with various life stressors.

There are many different approaches that psychotherapist use to help people develop healthy and effective coping skills. These approaches are based from theoretical perspectives. Theoretical perspectives act as guides to help psychotherapists understand their client, their clients problem, and to assist in developing solutions to these problems. The type of psychotherapy an individual receives is based on a variety of factors. These factors include consideration of what the problem is, the client’s unique personality and circumstances, the best available research regarding the treatment of the problem, and the therapist’s theoretical orientation. Some of the more common types of psychotherapy include cognitive-behavioral therapy, person-centered therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, along with many others. Sometimes psychotherapist will combine different elements from several different theoretical frameworks into their psychotherapy in order to tailor treatment to client’s individual needs. Ask your therapist the orientation in which they work from in order to better understand their perspective on various issues.

Contact Dr. Parisi for low cost therapy in Chicago, Mt. Prospect, and surrounding areas including Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Barrington, Hinsdale, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Park Ridge, Evanston, and Wilmette.

What is a Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specializes in mental health disorders. They receive medical training and study the complex relationship between mental health illnesses and other medical illnesses. They are able to diagnose mental health conditions as well as treat them with a variety of methods including medication, hospitalization, and psychotherapy, (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). The American Psychological Association defines a psychiatrist as, “an individual who has obtained an M.D. degree and has completed postdoctoral specialty training in mental and emotional disorders. A psychiatrist may also prescribe medications for the treatment of psychological disorders”, (APA, 2014). Psychiatrists work with a variety of mental health disorders ranging in severity including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders.

Psychiatrists are qualified to use both medical and psychological tests in order to determine a client’s physical and mental health state. They are able to evaluate both medical and psychological data in order to make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan for conditions. Some psychiatrists may use psychotherapy as treatment or prescribe medication for mental health treatment. Depending on a client’s unique physical and mental health needs, a psychiatrist may choose to assist the client with their medication management and refer them to an individual who practices psychotherapy for further treatment. Many psychiatrists work in groups with other mental health practitioners, independently in a private practice, hospitals, or community health centers.

Psychiatric nurse practitioners offer many of the same services a psychiatrist offers. This includes assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders as well as treatment and prescription of medications for these mental health conditions. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are regular nurses that specialize within mental health disorders. These nurses work with individuals, families, couples, and groups of individuals to evaluate mental health needs. They also can develop a diagnosis and plan of care to treat mental health disorders. Psychiatric nurse practitioners may use psychotherapy along with medication to treat various disorders depending on the clients needs.

What is a Psychologist?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

A psychologist is a person who has been professionally trained to help people deal with an array of life transitions, stressors, and mental health issues. They provide a wide range of services that include psychological evaluations, tests, and psychotherapy. A psychologist must attend graduate school and receive extensive supervised training for a number of years prior to becoming a licensed professional in the mental health field. Psychologists are defined as, “An individual with a doctoral degree in psychology from an organized, sequential program in a regionally accredited university or professional school”, (APA, 2014).

Psychologists can help people overcome a wide variety of mental health related issues such as depression, anxiety, anger management, substance abuse and addictions, along with other mental health issues. Although psychologists can help people with a wide range of issues, over the course of their career they may end up specializing in certain mental health areas for example depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, or substance abuse and rehabilitation. Psychologists are trained to administer and interpret psychological assessments and can help diagnose a psychological condition. Psychological tests usually help to gather more information about a person, their personality, and the way they think, feel, and behave.

Psychologists help treat various mental health conditions by providing psychotherapy. They use a wide variety of different forms of therapy to help individuals who are in need of support. Common examples of the types of therapy include cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy or a combination of several different styles and techniques. The type of therapy used by a psychologist is usually dependent on what the research suggests to be most helpful for a particular problem. Empirically supported treatments are specified psychological treatments that have been found to be successful in treatment with a particular population, (APA Policy Statement, 2005). Psychologists utilize the best available research in order to know how to treat particular problems. Most practicing psychologist’s work with a group of other psychologists or other health care providers, as it is common for treatment plans to include referrals for other provides such as a psychiatrist or social worker. They can also work in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, community agencies, schools, hospitals, or manage their own private practice.

The Best Chicago Therapists for Children

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

No one can tell you which of the many Chicago therapists for children is the best. It is important to find one that fits your individual needs. Every child has different needs and the connection between the child and counselor all depends upon their ability to find a common interest. Nobody walks into a therapist’s office and spills their guts without having some kind of relationship established. It just doesn’t happen.

The Trust Factor

Children are always wary of what they say to adults. They feel that their feelings or actions will be judged by the adult. Think about it! That’s what every parent does. You need an office of caring and open Chicago therapists for children who will not judge your child. The trust factor between a child and his therapist is essential if he is to deal with his issues today and those that he will face tomorrow.

The Development Dilemma

As your child grows, he will face greater issues and occasionally revisit those that have been dealt with in the past. If your child has had a good working relationship with particular Therapists for Children Chicago therapists for children in the past, this is where he should go to handle any new problems or old ones that have resurfaced. The right counselor can have your child happy and productive again.

If you are looking for high quality and affordable behavioral healthcare for your child, you should contact Dr. Parisi & Associates, P.C. They provide services to the residents of Chicago, Illinois and the surrounding suburbs. By calling them at (847) 909-9858, you can get a free phone consultation or set up an appointment for your child.

What is Psychotherapy?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Psychotherapy is the process of applying expert techniques of skill building and analysis to bring about positive changes in the ways people think, feel, and act.  Although this is, seemingly, a simple definition, there are a lot inherent within the definition in order to truly understand what psychotherapy is (and is not).

First of all, psychotherapy is a “process” of bringing about positive changes.  The idea here is that, generally, for psychotherapy to be effective, there needs to be more than one visit to the psychotherapist.  Psychotherapy involves changes made over time whose cumulative effect can produce profound and lasting improvements in a person’s life.  The changes in psychotherapy do not always feel good, though.  Often, some of the most significant changes in psychotherapy are the result of individuals facing fears or confronting ingrained, unhealthy ways of thinking and behaving.  Positive changes in psychotherapy are often hard fought.  Indeed, there are times in the course of effective psychotherapy that individuals may leave the psychotherapist’s office not feeling especially good and may question if the decision to enter psychotherapy was the right one.  These sort of feelings are normal and often set the stage for positive growth as the individual works through these feelings with their psychotherapist.

Second of all, psychotherapy involves the “application of expert techniques.”  This is important to understand because it is often a misconception that going to see a psychotherapist is kind of like talking with a really good friend that can give advice and can tell you what to do.  To be effective, the psychotherapist must maintain a stance of objectivity and apply expert technique and theory to try to help individuals overcome their presenting problems.  This is precisely why it is not the same as talking with a friend.  A friend cannot be objective when dealing with your problems.  They care about you and do not want to hurt feelings.  They also do not have an understanding of normal versus abnormal thinking and behavior and cannot distance themselves from your problem situation to critically analyze it from the outside in.  Although a friend can certainly give advice, effective psychotherapy is premised upon “skill building” – or, learning more effective ways of coping with life stressors, including stress management, anger management, and problem-solving skills – and “analysis” – or,  critical examination of the factors that contribute to individuals’ problem situation with particular emphasis on focusing on factors that can be controlled or changed.

Last, effective psychotherapy is designed to bring about positive changes to way people think, feel, and act.  There are different ways that psychotherapists try to achieve this end.  But, make no mistake, the goal of all forms of psychotherapy is to produce positive changes in your life and, hopefully, help you overcome whatever issues brought you into counseling.

What is ADHD?

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD as it is commonly called, is a disruptive behavior disorder that is characterized by a chronic pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and poor impulse control or a combination of the three that affects how children, adolescents, or adults function in their day-to-day life.  ADHD is, technically, a childhood disorder and, if diagnosed in an adult, must have been evident during childhood.  Recent, emerging research from the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that ADHD has a strong genetic link – that is, often runs in families – and is about three times more prevalent among boys verus girls.

Once referred to as Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, the disorder was renamed in 1994 to ADHD where it was broken down into three subtypes. The three types of ADHD are predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, and the combined type.

The predominantly inattentive type is when an individual finds it difficult pay attention to details and difficulty with following instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted, makes careless errors, has problems with organization, forgets details of daily routines, and has a tendency to lose things.  The hyperactive-impulsive type is characterized by fidgety behavior, difficulty sitting still, excessive energy levels, poor decision-making, and a tendency to act before thinking.  An individual with the combined type of ADHD may display elements of multiple elements described above.

Treatment for ADHD depends on the unique constellation of symptoms displayed by the individual.  Treatment options are also guided by the severity of the ADHD symptoms.  Often times, prescription stimulant medication can prove invaluable in controlling the symptoms of moderate to severe ADHD.  However, in more mild forms of ADHD, changes to daily routine, the classroom environment, and behavior modification training can produce lasting results.  Cognitive Training involving computer-assisted training of attentional skills, sequencing ability, and short-term auditory and visual memory can also prove helpful in improving the symptoms of mild to moderate ADHD.  Often times, a combination approach which involves a combination of medication management, behavior modification, school-based accommodation, and Cognitive Training is the most helpful way to manage ADHD.

Park Ridge Social Worker

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Many people feel ashamed when they need to contact a Park Ridge, Illinois Social Worker. You shouldn’t feel ashamed or uncomfortable to ask for help when you need it. The truth is that everybody needs a little help from time to time. It’s wiser to seek help from a Park Ridge, Illinois Social Worker than it is to ignore the problem that you are experiencing. They are here to help you.

Park Ridge Social Service Agency

Posted on by Dr Mark Parisi

Has a Park Ridge, Illinois Social Service Agency suggested that you contact a professional for behavioral healthcare? Everybody needs help on occasion so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or upset. Many people seek out the professional services provided by Counselors, Therapists, Psychologists and Psychiatrists every day. The Park Ridge, Illinois Social Services Agency is simply trying to help you find the care needed for a better life.