IntersectionalLife Couns&PsychPsychiatry is a medical practice; it is medication-focused. After your initial assessment, you will usually only see a psychiatrist for short med-checks of 10-15 minutes. You will generally not receive talk therapy.
Psychology is therapy and/or assessment-focused. After your initial intake, you will usually talk with your therapist for 45-50 minute sessions. You will not receive prescriptions.
The vast majority of Americans who are prescribed psychoactive medications are getting prescriptions from their primary care practitioner, (including GPs, nurse practitioners, and PAs).
https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20230156
Psychotropic Medication Prescribing Across Medical Providers, 2016–2019
Objective: The authors sought to provide updated estimates of the proportion of psychotropic medications prescribed by different medical providers. Methods: This pooled cross-sectional study used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2016–2019). Nationally representative estimates of the percentages of all psychotropic medications prescribed by each provider type were calculated, and analyses stratified by medication type, insurance type, and age were conducted. Results: Data from 58,547 psychotropic prescriptions reported by 7,693 unique individuals were analyzed. More than 60% of psychotropic medications were prescribed by providers other than psychiatrists (33.5%) or psychologists (2.2%), such as general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This distribution varied significantly by medication, insurance, and patient age. Conclusions: Most psychotropic medication prescribing occurs in primary care; however, notable differences by medication, insurance, and age were observed, suggesting areas for future research.