How to Know if You’re Seeing a Good Psychiatrist

Psychiatric counseling is becoming increasingly popular as the stigma of mental illness fades. But, you must put out a little effort to find a good psychiatrist. The best psychiatrist will develop a treatment plan utilizing both counseling and medicine. Psychiatrists are doctors who have completed the psychiatrist education requirements that allow them to counsel patients and prescribe medicine as a part of the patient’s treatment. As more and more people perform a psychiatrist search, the criteria for a good psychiatrist becomes more clear.

Nowadays, even younger individuals are receiving help from their local psychiatrist. Apparently, obsessive internet use is detrimental to mental health. Did you know that there is a link between internet use and depression? Counseling and psychiatry are very rewarding careers with incredible compensation. Psychiatrist counseling has many specializations, such as a family psychiatrist, a marriage psychiatrist, etc. Have you ever thought about becoming a psychiatrist? Here’s why you should consider a career in psychiatry!

What makes a good psychiatrist? Finding a good psychiatrist can be difficult, but a recent Yahoo! Health article explains what to look for when finding a psychiatrist.

How to Find a Psychiatrist – Useful Criteria:

• Humility. A psychiatrist who refers a patient for a second opinion shows a dedication to finding the best treatment course…even if that means utilizing the expertise of someone else.Availability. A good doctor will respond to your calls or emails within a couple days, as well as find time for you when things are difficult.
• Flexibility. “Not too many of today’s psychiatrists use only psychotherapy and no medications, but many use medications and little or no psychotherapy,” MacKeen states. “In all but the easiest-to-treat cases, medications alone can restore only the capacity for recovery; recovery itself tends to require some attention to psychological adjustment and functional rehabilitation.”
• “Efficiency. “If sessions seem too frequent or too lengthy, or if they seem to be focused on the wrong thing (e.g., childhood traumas, when your problems are rooted in the present), then the therapy might be going astray, and you should discuss your concern with the therapist,” according to Dean F. MacKinnon, M.D., the author of the article.
• Availability. A good doctor will respond to your calls or emails within a couple days, as well as find time for you when things are difficult.
• Pharmacologic skill. “Any doctor can prescribe the latest medication on the market; a psychiatrist, however, shows an advanced level of skill if he or she also considers the older and well-established medicines,” according to MacKinnon. “A superior therapist will also be sure to use the least amount of medication necessary to resolve the problem and enhance the patient’s function.”

Figuring out how to find a therapist that works for you can be a trying process, but these basic guidelines may make it easier. What do YOU look for in a psychiatrist?