By Olayemi Adurota, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C · September 1, 2026
This is one of the most common questions people have when looking for mental health services.
The right provider depends on your symptoms and treatment needs.
A therapist may help with:
- Developing coping strategies
- Processing difficult experiences
- Managing anxiety or stress
- Addressing relationship problems
- Improving emotional regulation
- Working through grief or trauma
- Changing unhelpful patterns of thinking or behavior
Psychotherapy can take several forms, including individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, and specialized therapeutic approaches.
A psychiatric provider may help with:
- Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
- Diagnostic clarification
- Assessment of psychiatric symptoms
- Evaluation of whether medication may be appropriate
- Medication management
- Monitoring treatment response
- Adjusting psychiatric medications when clinically indicated
- Coordinating treatment with other healthcare professionals when appropriate
Many patients benefit from both psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management.
The decision depends on the person's diagnosis, symptoms, preferences, medical history, previous treatment, response to treatment, and other clinical factors.
Tags:Mental HealthTherapyWellness