The child psychiatrist and the child psychologist
Seeing a child psychiatrist or child psychologist is helpful when we see an imbalance in our child. The support of these professionals is indispensable for people who cannot find a way out of a psychological disorder in their children. Their intervention is effective in helping a child who is going through difficult times.
The difference between a child psychiatrist and a child psychologist
The child psychiatrist and child psychologist are specialists in the child's psyche. They help them to express their suffering through words, but also through other forms of expression, such as play and drawing. They also relieve many problems such as depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders. For your information, the child psychiatrist has studied medicine and has specialized in psychiatry and has received additional training in child psychiatry. Considered a doctor, he is the only "shrink" with the right to prescribe medication. He most often works with nurses, psychologists and teachers. On the other hand, the child psychologist is not a doctor. He just has a university degree in psychology, with a specialization in child psychology. As a result, he cannot prescribe medication. In order to better understand the child's difficulties, he is able to perform psychological tests.
When to call on a child psychiatrist?
Consulting a child psychiatrist does not always mean that your child is "crazy". We have to get this thought out of our heads. Indeed, going to see a child psychiatrist can be an act of prevention, more precisely a necessity of care. A child who is anguished, sad, anxious, inhibited, uncomfortable in daily life should be able to benefit from a consultation with a child psychiatrist, without complex. Here are some signs in children that you should be aware of in order to seek a child psychiatric consultation: relationship and socialization disorders, psychomotor retardation, extreme agitation or self endangerment, pervasive phobias, isolation, repeated insomnia, lasting sadness, suicidal talk... When these problems occur in your child, consider a child psychiatric consultation as soon as possible.
Why choose a child psychiatrist?
You are probably asking yourself, why choose a child psychiatrist rather than a child psychologist? The answer to this question is simple. Not all child psychologists are qualified to do psychotherapy. Only child psychiatrists have the required skills in this area. Indeed, as a doctor, a child psychiatrist has many qualities, compared to a child psychologist, because he or she can intervene in many facets of problems that children may encounter. As a result, the fee for a consultation session with a child psychiatrist is higher than that of a child psychologist. In general, the fee for a consultation with a child psychiatrist is between €40 and €100, while the fee for a child psychologist is between €40 and €70.