Summary: Yes, for the best results, you may need talk therapy in addition to a psychiatrist to treat your mental health.
Key Points:
- Talk therapy – a.k.a. psychotherapy – helps you explore issues related to your mental health in private, one-on-one conversations with your provider.
- Psychologists, counselors, and therapists provide talk therapy more frequently than psychiatrists.
- Psychiatrists often focus on assessment, diagnosis, and medication management, as opposed to psychotherapy.
- Some psychiatrists, however, regularly offer and engage patients in psychotherapy, in addition to assessing, diagnosing, and prescribing medication for mental health disorders.
Huh? Isn’t Talk Therapy the Same as Psychiatry?
No, it’s not – and if you ask that question, you shouldn’t be ashamed. The details about who provides what kind of support in mental health treatment aren’t totally obvious, and unless you’ve had a mental heath disorder yourself, or had a close friend or relative with mental health issues, you may never have had a good reason to find out.
The main reason people associate psychotherapy with psychiatry is inertia. When we’re young, we learn that Sigmund Freud is the father of psychiatry – we won’t debate the facts on that here – and along with that lesson, we save an image of a bearded man with a pipe, stroking his beard, while his patient reclines on the couch, and the Freud-figure says:
“Tell me about your [mother/father/childhood].”
Don’t misunderstand – an updated version of that happens every day in mental health treatment all over the world. However, in 2026, the person asking the updated version of that question is more often a psychologist, a counselor, or a therapist than a psychiatrist. But psychiatrists can and do provide talk therapy, or psychotherapy, to patients – just not all of them.
If I Need Talk Therapy in Addition to a Psychiatrist to Treat My Mental Health, Who Do I See?
In some cases, you may be able to stick with your psychiatrist only. In other cases, you may need to see a psychologist, therapist, or counselor for talk therapy.
We’ll break down who does what:
Psychiatrists
Most psychiatrists most often:
- Assess, diagnose, and prescribe medication.
- Provide ongoing medication management.
- Offer referrals to other types of care, such as psychotherapy
Some psychiatrists:
- Do all of the above, and offer psychotherapy services.
Clinical Psychologists
Most clinical psychologists:
- Assess and diagnose mental health disorders.
- Provide referrals to a psychiatrist for medication.
- Receive patient referrals from other providers – sometimes psychiatrists – for psychotherapy services.
- Provide psychotherapy to patients with clinical mental heath disorders
Some clinical psychologists:
- Focus on assessment and diagnosis, not treatment.
- Conduct clinical research as their primary work
Therapists and Counselors
Some therapists and counselors:
- Assess and diagnose mental health disorders – depending on their level of education, training, and licensure
- Provide referrals to psychiatrists for medication
- Provide psychotherapy services
Almost all therapists and counselors:
- Receive referrals from other providers to provide psychotherapy services
- Offer talk therapy, psychotherapy, addiction counseling, relationship counseling, and any form of mental health support aside from prescribing and managing medication.
- Therapists and counselors are the front-line essential workers in mental health, and are responsible for the majority of talk therapy that happens in mental health
A treatment team for mental health, in most cases, consists of a psychiatrist, a psychologist, therapist, or counselor, and a primary care provider. If you have a mental health disorder, your treatment team may include just a psychiatrist – if they offer psychotherapy – or a psychiatrist for diagnosis, prescribing, and medication management, and a psychologist, therapist, and/or counselor for talk therapy.
The final mix of professionals on your treatment team depends on your diagnosis, your needs, your goals, and what your providers offer.
Talk Therapy/Psychotherapy: Most Common Types
At most treatment centers in the U.S., you’ll find the following types of talk therapy most often. These aren’t the only types you’ll find, but they are the most common:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
For an in-depth look at CBT, read this article on our blog:
CBT for Mental Health: What Does 50 Years of Evidence Teach Us About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
You may also encounter these forms of CBT
- Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT): combines CBT and mindfulness
- Trauma Focused Cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): for patients with PTSD/history of trauma
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
For an in-depth look at DBT, read this article on our blog:
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
You may also encounter alternate forms of CBT, such as:
- DBT-A: DBT techniques adapted for adolescents
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
This type of talk therapy helps you accept the circumstances in your life without judgment, identify any problems present in their lives, and commit to making positive change to bring your behavior in line with what you want out of life. If you’re stuck in therapy, or deciding whether or not to engage, ACT can help.
Motivational interviewing (MI)
This type of therapy helps you identify your goals and values, compare them to your behavior, and recognize and resolve any disconnect between your goals and values and your behavior. Like ACT, motivational interviewing can help you move past hesitancy about treatment, and help motivate you to take positive steps on the path toward overall wellness.
Solution focused therapy (SFT)
As the name implies, this form of therapy focuses on solutions rather than problems. It’s generally brief, lasts for 5-8 sessions, and prioritizes solving problems in the short-term. SFT helps you identify goals, identify the strengths you have that can help you reach those goals, and create a practical, actionable plan that fosters quick, achievable, and essential changes in your life.
If you need talk therapy in addition to a psychiatrist for your menta health, but it sounds like a lot of work and you’re unsure about committing, please read this article on our blog:
