How Do I Choose the Best Psychiatrist?

Choosing a psychiatrist who is well-qualified, insightful, and equipped to deal with your unique needs is of the utmost importance when dealing with any type of mental health issue. To find the best psychiatrist for you, start by talking to your primary care physician, friends, and family to see if they can recommend anyone. Since you are looking for a psychiatrist, make sure that any doctor who you research is actually a psychiatrist, and not another kind of doctor or therapist. Then, set up interviews with two or three of the best in your area to discuss your unique issues and garner an understanding of how he or she treats his or her patients. From this point, you will likely be able to find someone that can help.

The first step to choosing the best psychiatrist for you is to put together a list of potential doctors. If you have a good relationship with your primary care physician and trust his or her advice, start by asking if he or she has any recommendations for the best psychiatrist in your area. When doing so, make sure that you are given at least two options, as one may be a better fit for you than another no matter how good of a doctor the psychiatrist is. If you are comfortable doing so, asking close friends or family members that have seen a psychiatrist in the past for a recommendation may also be helpful. If you find this uncomfortable, you can go by your doctor’s recommendations or research local psychiatrists in your area online to find someone who specializes in your needs.

One of the most confusing parts about looking for the best psychiatrist is the litany of titles that many in the same field possess. Once you have a list of recommendations, research each doctor to ensure that he or she is actually a licensed psychiatrist. Oftentimes, especially if you receive recommendations from friends or family members, they may confuse a therapist or psychologist with a psychiatrist. Although all of these mental health professionals can be helpful, only a psychiatrist can provide therapy and medical treatment.

After you have a list of qualified professionals, set up interview appointments with each of your options to get a feel for the type of doctors that they are. During the interview, you will likely provide the doctor with an overview of your medical background and the issues that you face, and be able to ask him or her questions as to his or her treatment philosophy. This will also give you a good chance to gauge the personality of the psychiatrist to see if you think that you and the doctor would be able to develop a productive doctor-patient relationship. Once you’ve interviewed all of your choices, make an appointment with the best psychiatrist with whom you met, and keep in mind that you can always change doctors if, for some reason, you and the psychiatrist seem to have different goals.