The confusion is understandable. The two professions sound alike, often treat the same conditions and sometimes share the same patients.
No. Psychologists in Alberta, and in the rest of Canada, cannot prescribe medication. Psychiatrists, family doctors and nurse practitioners can. Psychologists assess, diagnose and treat mental health concerns using psychological therapy, and they often work alongside the person who prescribes.
The confusion is understandable. The two professions sound alike, often treat the same conditions and sometimes share the same patients.
A psychologist has graduate training in psychology and is registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Their tools are assessment and therapy: understanding what is going on, giving it a name where that helps, and working with you to change it.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialized in psychiatry. Psychiatrists diagnose mental illness, prescribe and manage medication, and tend to focus on conditions where medication plays a central role. Many see a patient for a limited number of appointments and then hand ongoing care back to the family doctor.
Yes. In Alberta, psychologists diagnose mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, ADHD and learning disorders. A psychologist's diagnosis and report can support school accommodations, workplace accommodations and insurance claims. If medication might help, the report gives your family doctor or psychiatrist a detailed starting point.
Psychiatrist appointments are covered by Alberta Health Care, but you need a referral, usually from your family doctor, and waits can be long. Psychologists in private practice are not covered by Alberta Health Care. Most people pay through extended health benefits, a health spending account or out of pocket, and psychologists' fees count toward the medical expense tax credit.
For many concerns, therapy alone is enough. For others, such as moderate to severe depression, bipolar disorder or ADHD, medication can be an important part of treatment, and for some conditions combining it with therapy works better than either on its own. A common arrangement looks like this:
Usually not directly. A psychiatrist appointment billed to Alberta Health Care needs a referral from a physician, most often your family doctor. In practice, a psychologist who thinks you would benefit from a psychiatric opinion writes to your family doctor, explains why, and your doctor makes the referral. The psychologist's report often helps the referral move along, because it sets out the history and the concerns clearly.
Some do, but in Canada most psychiatrists spend their time on assessment and medication management, and their availability for weekly therapy is limited. Ongoing talk therapy is mostly provided by psychologists, social workers and counsellors. That is one reason the psychologist and psychiatrist roles tend to complement each other rather than overlap.
A handful of American states allow psychologists with additional pharmacology training to prescribe a limited range of medications. No Canadian province does. If you read otherwise online, the source is almost certainly American.
You do not need a referral to see one of our psychologists in Calgary, Red Deer or Cold Lake. If medication might be part of the picture, we can send a report to your family doctor with your permission. Our ADHD assessments are a common example: we assess and diagnose, and your doctor decides about medication. Assessments are also available in Red Deer and Cold Lake.
We direct bill many insurers, including Alberta Blue Cross, Canada Life, Sun Life, Manulife and Greenshield, so you pay only the part your plan does not cover. See direct billing and insurance, or call 1-888-622-8350 to book.
