When someone is dealing with mental health difficulties, relationship problems or addiction, it can be hard to know who to make an appointment with. A psychologist, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, addictologist, family therapist and couple therapist all work in the area of mental health, but each has different education, competences and focus.
If you are not sure who is right for your situation, it helps to understand the basic differences between the individual specialisations.
Choosing the right specialist can save you time, energy and unnecessary disappointment. Sometimes psychological counselling is enough, at other times psychotherapy is more suitable; for more serious difficulties a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist may be appropriate, and for addictions an addictologist. For relationship and family problems it makes sense to see a specialist who knows how to work with relationship dynamics, not just with one person’s problem.
A psychologist is a person with a university degree in psychology, usually with the title Mgr. or PhDr. They work mainly through conversation, psychological methods and by understanding how a person experiences, thinks and reacts. You can turn to a psychologist, for example, for stress, anxiety, low self‑esteem, strain at work or school, relationship difficulties, or when you want to understand yourself and your behaviour better.
Many psychologists further expand their education with psychotherapeutic training in a specific psychotherapeutic approach, and ongoing continuing education is standard.
A clinical psychologist is a psychologist who has completed specialist training in healthcare and has obtained specialised competence in the field of clinical psychology. They more often work within healthcare services and focus on psychological diagnostics, assessment of mental state and expert guidance in more complex cases. They are suitable, for example, when a mental disorder is suspected, in more complicated diagnostics, or where an expert evaluation within healthcare is needed.
A psychotherapist is a specialist who has completed a 5–6 year psychotherapeutic training, including practical work with clients under supervision. Psychotherapy helps with longer‑term work on changing how a person experiences life, their behaviour, relationship patterns and emotion regulation. Within psychotherapy there are several basic approaches, each working in a slightly different way. A psychotherapist is suitable, for example, for anxiety, depressive mood, trauma, recurring relationship problems, loss of life balance, or when a person is looking for deeper and longer‑term change.
A psychiatrist is a physician who has studied general medicine and then specialised in psychiatry. As a doctor, they can make diagnoses, indicate treatment and prescribe medication. It is appropriate to see a psychiatrist for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, psychotic symptoms, a marked worsening of mental state, or when pharmacological treatment is needed. As part of the treatment of mental disorders, a psychiatrist often recommends that patients also include a psychotherapist or psychologist in their care.
An addiction specialist is a specialist with non‑medical healthcare education in the field of addictology, focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of addictions and risky use of psychoactive substances as well as some behavioural addictions. You can turn to them, for example, for problems with alcohol, nicotine, other substances, medications, gambling, or when you feel you do not have your use under control or are unsure whether your use or behaviour is turning into an addiction. An addictologist also works with motivation for change, stabilisation and support during abstinence or return to everyday life.
A family therapist works with the family system as a whole. They focus on relationships, communication and recurring patterns that affect the functioning of the entire family. They are suitable, for example, for conflicts between parents and children, tension in the family, parenting difficulties, after separation or divorce, when communication is impaired, or when one family member’s problems affect everyone else. Family therapy helps to find solutions in the broader context of relationships, not just for the individual.
A couple therapist focuses on the partnership, communication, trust, conflict and long‑term relationship patterns. They are helpful for repeated arguments, emotional distance, jealousy, infidelity, communication difficulties, differing expectations, or when partners need a safe space for an open conversation about the future direction of the relationship. Couple therapy is often led by a psychotherapist or family therapist with experience in working with couples.
When choosing a specialist, it is worth looking not only at the job title, but mainly at education, specialisation and practice. For psychological and therapeutic services it is important to know whether the person is a healthcare worker or a specialist working outside the healthcare system.
A psychiatrist is a physician, a clinical psychologist is a specialised healthcare psychologist, and a psychotherapist is a specialist with psychotherapeutic training; for a family or couple therapist it is always good to check what their basic education is and what therapeutic training they have. Clearly stated education, practice and area of focus are a good sign of a quality specialist.
Sometimes difficulties affect several areas at once – mental health, relationships, lifestyle, sleep, stress and physical functioning. In such a situation, a comprehensive mental health and lifestyle consultation can be useful. This helps you orient yourself in which specialisations to include in your mental health care and obtain concrete recommendations for an individual care plan, including relevant specialisations and a suitable psychotherapeutic approach, priorities, time frame and frequency.
This approach is especially suitable if you are not sure who to turn to, you feel your problems fall into several specialisations, or you need to sensitively connect mental health with everyday functioning and lifestyle. At EUNOMA Clinic we will be happy to help you find a direction that makes sense for your situation.
If you already have an idea of whom you are looking for, you can of course contact a specific specialist within our clinic directly. A consultation is not a prerequisite – it is rather support for those who want more certainty in their decision‑making.
The aim is to offer clarity, calm and meaningful guidance without unnecessary wandering.
I have been working in the field of addiction counselling for more than 10 years. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Addictology from the First Faculty of Medicine and a degree in General Medicine from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. In my research, I focus on preventive medicine and epidemiology.
In my work with clients, I combine evidence-based knowledge with a holistic approach to mental health. My medical background enables me to understand the broader clinical context and to better support each client’s individual needs.
