Hi Sharon, Thanks for sharing your experience with your doctor last week. I sounds like you were able to gain a lot of insight into your past experiences. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who receive 4-5 years of specialized training (residency) in assessing treating mental illness. As medical doctors psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medications. Typically psychiatrists treat people by prescribing medications although some psychiatrists do some talk therapy (psychotherapy). Psychotherapy is the practice of "talk therapy." A number of different professionals and para-professionals provide psychotherapy including psychologists, social workers, nurses and occupational therapists. Psychologists are doctors who usually have a Ph.D. from a university. Like psychiatrists, Ph.D. psychologists have 4-5 years of post-graduate training in th assessment and treatment of mental illness. However, psychologists are trained in "talk therapy" and usually do not prescribe medication. The training of other professionals who provide psychotherapy varies quite a bit. In fact, in a lot of places, you don't need any training at all to call yourself a "psychotherapist" so it is good to be a little bit careful. Make sure that if you see "psychotherapist" that they are a professional who is registered with a professional college (Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy). As for specialist service, make sure that they provide the kind of service that you are looking for (behavior therapy, CBT, IPT, or CBASP for depression) and that they have plenty of experience the kind of problem that you have (depression). Ask the person what their credentials are, if they are registered with a professional college, how many people with depression they have treated and what their approach is. These are all fair questions to ask of any person who calls them self a professional. Hope this helps to clarify the terms for you. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions. Keep us posted as to how things go on Tuesday. Casey __________________________________ The Depression Center Support Team

Last Thursday I went to see my Psychiatrist. During the hour I was there he was able to shed some light on my depression and anxiety. It turns out that I blame myself for the death of my bestfriend and my boyfriend. My bestfriend, Cathy, was raped and murdered early 1991. I grew up with her and we were inseperable. We moved into together when we finished school and did everything together. She moved away on 1990 and was living in a different state when she died. Later that same year my boyfriend of 2 years was killed in a car accident. I was supposed to met him after work but I had a huge headache and just went straight home to bed. I didn't phone him or anything. He was drinking with a buddy and got in the car with him and they both died in a car accident (drunk driving). Apparently I blame myself for this as I didn't phone him. One other thing that came out of this session was I regret having my tubes tied. I had my tubes tied 4 yours ago. My husband only wanted 2 kids and I wanted four. Due to my low self-esteem and feeling inferior to him, and feeling inferior to almost everyone I had my tubed tied instead of having a backbone and letting him know how I felt. I am finding it hard to deal with not being able to have anymore kids. I think about it all the time now and it is overwhelming. The psychiatrist has recommended I see a psychotherapist who I see on Tuesday. Does anyone know the difference between a psychiatrist and a psuchotherapist?