A recent podcast interview with popular speaker Cheyenne Bryant on The Joe Budden Network opened a serious can of worms regarding mental health credentials. The now viral exchange caused many to question if Bryant is truly a doctor and is a qualified mental health expert. We turned to Dr. Raquel Martin to help us understand who does what, when and why in the world of mental health professionals. Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist, specializes in championing Mental Health Awareness Month, Martin lent us her award-winning expertise. The good doc broke down key specifics of the most discussed mental health pros so we can make better informed decisions.
PSYCHOLOGIST VS PSYCHIATRIST“I am a licensed clinical psychologist. Licensure is one of the most important things. I have a bachelor’s, I have two master’s and I have a doctorate. After that, I completed a post-doc program and an internship at Johns Hopkins University. Before I was even able to practice independently, I had to apply to internship. You must have hundreds of hours before applying. During my internship, I had to earn 2,000 supervised hours of therapy, assessment and note writing from a licensed professional. Then, in order to graduate from post-doc, I had to complete 2,000 more supervised hours when it came to treatment and assessment. That was before I could even sit for my licensure exam.”
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“I do not identify anyone as a psychologist if they’re not licensed. Some people go back and forth with the term, but if you do not sit for your licensure exam and pass the exam, you’re not licensed to practice independently. The licensure is very important. Only 5% of psychologists in the U.S. that are licensed are Black.”“The last time I checked only 2% of psychiatrists that are licensed in the U.S. are Black. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist because I practice therapy, but I also do research. I can understand why it’s confusing. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication. They have an M.D. Psychologists do not prescribe medication and focus more on therapy.”
BOTTOM LINE: If someone is experiencing paranoia, suicidal thoughts or bipolar symptoms, they will likely benefit most from seeing a psychiatrist. Remember that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication and a psychologist cannot. However, both are doctors and should have completed years of formal education from an accredited institution, passed rigorous exams and completed a hefty amount of supervised practical training prior to seeing patients. Either should easily be able to provide proof of their credentials upon request. In addition, licensure is a way to ensure certain ethics codes are maintained. It is a red flag if a mental health professional goes out of their way to avoid it.THERAPIST VS LIFE COACH
“In certain states, it is illegal to refer to yourself as a therapist if you are not a licensed mental health professional. Think about therapists as an umbrella. A licensed therapist can be someone who is a psychiatrist who’s practicing therapy, a licensed psychologist who’s practicing therapy, a licensed professional counselor who’s practicing therapy, a licensed clinical social worker who’s practicing therapy, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who’s practicing therapy, a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing therapy. All those licenses fall under therapists. The difference with coaches is anyone can identify themselves as a coach. There are certification programs for coaches, but you don’t have to go through them to identify as a coach. It gets confusing as there are a lot of licensed psychologists who also practice coaching within their practice, but they’re two entirely different things.”
“Panic attacks are not what you go to a coach for. When I am talking about a coach versus a therapist, a coach will focus more on helping clients develop professional skills. It could be overcoming barriers to success or maybe struggles with time management. As a psychologist, I would address the anxieties, root causes and employ techniques. In the same scenario, a coach could focus on enhancing time management skills or setting achievable goals or creating structured plans for task organization. This is an example of branch work versus root work.”
BOTTOM LINE: There are many types of therapists. Talk therapists are most common but do your research before assuming that is the best fit for you. (Therapy for Black Girls is a great resource.) Ensure that your therapist is licensed. A life coach is likely a good fit for someone who is searching for an accountability partner and/or looking to achieve short term goals such as starting a business. Note that some therapists do coaching but Martin does not advise seeing one person for both therapy and coaching.
EMBRACE COMMUNITY
Martin’s biggest takeaway: “With Black people, the main question I have every single person ask before seeking treatment is, ‘What role do you think racism plays in my mental health?’ Anyone who cannot answer that question is not someone I would ever work with. You should never work with a clinician who thinks that racism will not impact your mental health.”
She is also a huge proponent of moving your body and being in community. “Community has always been the biggest thing for Black people. We are a collective culture. That is just who we are. Because what if you can’t go to therapy this weekend? I might say, “Let me see if I can find you a little support group. The Black Girl Art Show is this weekend, so we can also find you some friends. Or maybe you need to go to that Beyoncé concert.”
“I tell people, especially because we’re in this time where a lot of systems aren’t serving us, the systems that always have helped us has been our community. Whateverrel=”tag”>black mental health Cheyenne Bryant Dr. Raquel Martin Mental Health Mental Health Awareness mental health awareness month
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