Mental Health Professions
Introduction to Mental Health Professions
Mark Dombeck, Ph.D.image by Sander van der Wel (lic)
Many people confronting mental illness for the first time fall back on (often quite inaccurate) preconceptions about what mental illness is, what sort of treatment is available, and who does the treating. The most common scenario I've encountered is one in which people think that mental illness involves hallucinations and delusions (e.g., that mental illness reduces to schizophrenia), and that it is treated primarily by medical doctors in corduroy coats (with leather arm patches, beards and pipes) who offer some variation on Freudian analysis as treatment. This scenario was actually a little accurate forty years ago, but it resembles little having to do with reality today.
Mental Health treatment in the 21st century generally involves a coordination amongst several healthcare professionals drawn from different disciplines. While medical doctors still run the show (in the form of Psychiatrists), their role has typically diminished to that of diagnostician and prescriber of medication (and the occasional assessment and/or electroconvulsive therapy/ECT). Clinical Psychologists are often called upon to handle assessment work (psychological and cognitive testing), as well as psychotherapy. Social workers increasingly offer psychotherapy services as well. A host of related professionals, (licensed counselors specializing in substance abuse, marital and family therapy, etc.) now exist as well and handle many psychotherapy tasks. And lest we forget, psychiatric nurses are still around too, handling much of the hands-on work involved in inpatient hospital care. All in all there are many fields now involved in mental health treatment.
We've created this Mental Health Professionals topic area to help you learn about the different mental health professions we've touched on above. Whether you are looking to understand your therapists' credentials better, or are wondering about a career in mental health treatment, this information is helpful to know about.
Resources
-
Articles
-
Questions and Answers
- Is it OK to give my therapist a gift?
- abuse toward bi-polars
- Comunication between Dr.'s
- Trusting health providers
- What is your theoretical perspective?
- Unethical Counselor
- Abusive Therapist
- What Does GAF Stand For?
- Healthy Sadness
- Ethics Question
-
Book & Media Reviews
- A Research Agenda for DSM-V
- Community and In-Home Behavioral Health Treatment
- Conflict of Interest in the Professions
- Creative Writing In Health And Social Care
- Defining Psychopathology in the 21st Century
- Ethics of Psychiatry
- First, Do No Harm
- Gracefully Insane
- Intensive Care
- No Apparent Distress
-
6 more
- Rewarding Specialties for Mental Health Clinicians
- The Ethical Dimensions of the Biological and Health Sciences
- The Farm Colonies: Caring for New York City's Mentally Ill In Long Island's State Hospitals
- The Insider's Guide to Mental Health Resources Online
- The Insider's Guide to Mental Health Resources Online
- The Portable Ethicist for Mental Health Professionals
-
Links
- [2] Articles
- [39] Associations
- [3] Community
- [6] Employment
- [3] Government
- [22] Information
- [279] Journals
- [2] Other Sites
- [1] Assessment
- [1] CEUs
- [9] Training
- [3] Research
- [1] Services
- [3] Software
- [14] Videos
- [1] Blogs
- [5] Apps
-
Videos
- When to Seek Counseling for Your Mental Health Video
- Treating Anxiety Disorders: A Unified Protocol
- Assessment and Intervention with Suicidal Clients: Volume 2
- Assessment and Intervention with Suicidal Clients: Volume 1
- Assessment and Intervention with Suicidal Clients: Volume 3
- NAMI's Ask the Doctor Call--Changes to the DSM
- NAMI's Ask the Doctor Calls--Successful Aging with Schizophrenia
- Beyond the Data -- Preventing Suicide: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach
- Legal and Ethical Issues for Mental Health Professionals Video
- DSM-5 Update for Mental Health Counselors
-
4 more
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy Techniques for Emotional Dysregulation
- Achieving Psychotherapy Effectiveness
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety
-
More Information
- Wise Counsel Interview Transcript: An Interview with William Robiner, Ph.D. ABPP on Prescription Privileges for Psychologists
Topics
-
Related Topic Centers
-
Addictions
-
Aging & Elder Care
-
Assessments & Interventions
-
Career & Workplace
-
Emotional Well-Being
-
Life Issues
-
Parenting & Child Care
-
Abuse
-
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Adoption
-
Autism
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
-
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
-
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
-
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
-
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
-
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
-
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
-
Childhood Special Education
-
Divorce
-
Family & Relationship Issues
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Learning Disorders
-
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
-
Parenting
-
Self Esteem
-
-
Psychological Disorders
-
Anxiety Disorders
-
Bipolar Disorder
-
Conversion Disorders
-
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
-
Dissociative Disorders
-
Domestic Violence and Rape
-
Eating Disorders
-
Impulse Control Disorders
-
Intellectual Disabilities
-
Mental Disorders
-
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
-
Personality Disorders
-
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
-
Schizophrenia
-
Sexual Disorders
-
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
-
Suicide
-
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders
-