Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Psychotherapist…What’s the Difference?

This post was updated on March 30, 2024.
I have been asked many times to explain the difference between Psychologists, Psychological Associates, Psychiatrists, and Psychotherapists. Hopefully, this blog post will provide a helpful answer! (There are different types of Psychologists, but for this post I will be referring to Clinical Psychologists who provide psychotherapy and psychological assessments in Ontario.)

What is a Psychologist?
 According to the Canadian Psychological Association,
 ​
"A practicing psychologist is trained to assess and diagnose problems in thinking, feeling and behaviour as well to help people overcome or manage these problems. A psychologist is uniquely trained to use psychological tests to help with assessment and diagnosis. Psychologists help people to overcome or manage their problems using a variety of treatments or psychotherapies".
(Canadian Psychological Association. What is a Psychologist? Retrieved from https://cpa.ca/public/whatisapsychologist/.)

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There are many professionals avaliable to help with your mental health or personal concerns.

*A Registered Clinical Psychologist in Ontario, in most cases will have completed the following:

• Undergraduate degree in psychology (approximately 4 years)
• Master’s degree in psychology (approximately 2 years)
• Ph.D. or Psy.D. Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (approximately 6 years including a 1-year internship)
• Postdoctoral supervised practice (approximately 1500 hours or 1 year)
• Passed registration exams for the College of Psychologists of Ontario
• Received a Certificate of Registration to practice psychology from the College of Psychologists of Ontario

Reference: Canadian Psychological Association. Becoming a Psychologist. Retrieved from https://cpa.ca/students/career/becomingapsychologist/.
 
How do Psychologists differ from psychological associates?
Psychological Associates are another set of professionals who are registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario, and they can do the same things as Psychologists but there are differences in their training. 

A Registered Psychological Associate in Ontario, in most cases will have completed the following:

• Undergraduate degree in psychology (approximately 4 years)
• Master’s degree in psychology (approximately 2 years)
• “Four years of experience working in the scope of practice of psychology”
• “One additional year of formal supervised experience approved by the College”
• Passed registration exams for the College of Psychologists of Ontario
• Received a Certificate of Registration to practice psychology from the College of Psychologists of Ontario

Reference: FAQs by the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

What is a Psychiatrist?
The Canadian Psychiatric Association states, Psychiatrists are physicians who,
 
"enhance the person’s quality of life by providing psychiatric assessment, treatment and rehabilitation care to people with psychiatric disorders in order to prevent, reduce and eliminate the symptoms and subsequent disabilities resulting from mental illness or disorder…Psychiatrists use a mix of treatment options, including medications and psychotherapy, depending on the psychiatric conditions". (Canadian Psychiatric Association. What Does a Psychiatrist Do?  Retrieved from https://www.cpa-apc.org/faqs/.)
 
A Registered Psychiatrist in Ontario, in most cases will have completed the following:

• Undergraduate degree in science (approximately 4 years)
• Doctorate of Medicine from a medical school (approximately 4 years)
• Psychiatric residency (5 years)
• Passed registration exams for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Received a Certificate of Registration to practice psychiatry from the College of Physicians and Surgeons

Reference: Kimber, Joy. (2018, June). How to Become a Psychiatrist in Canada. Retrieved from https://www.theclassroom.com/become-psychiatrist-canada-2773.html.
 
What is a Psychotherapist?
According to the College of Psychotherapists of Ontario,
 
"Registered Psychotherapists will be competent to use a treatment approach or modality that is part of one or more of the categories of prescribed therapies… Registered Psychotherapists are authorized to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy". (College of Psychotherapists of Ontario. What is Psychotherapy? Retrieved from https://www.crpo.ca/what-is-psychotherapy/.)
 
A Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario, in most cases will have completed the following:

• “CRPO requires a master’s-level program central to the practice of psychotherapy for registration. This can be a master’s degree or an equivalent graduate diploma that requires completion of a bachelor’s-level program for admission. The program must provide training in the Entry-to-Practice Competencies.”
• Received a Certificate of Registration to practice psychotherapy from the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario.

Reference:  Recognized/Accepted Programs-College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario www.crpo.ca/recognized-accepted-programs//​

 
For Further Reading:
Psychotherapist vs. psychologist vs. psychiatrist: which one should you choose?
Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist: Do You Know the Difference?
The Difference Between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist
 
*Please note that some Psychologists have M.A. degrees from other provinces and Psychological Associates can also provide psychotherapy and psychological assessments in Ontario. There are other practitioners who may provide psychotherapy besides Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Psychotherapists in Ontario.

Author

Dr. Candice Bovell, Ph.D., C.Psych. is a Clinical Psychologist who treats adults with depression, anxiety, and stress online in Ontario, Canada.