Can Therapists Diagnose Mental Health Issues?

If you’ve been experiencing some mental health problems recently, you might be wondering if you need a diagnosis — and whether a therapist can diagnose you. (For the purposes of this article, when we say ‘therapist’ we mean a psychotherapist, someone who’s clinically trained and licensed to treat a range of mental illnesses.) 

For many people, the concept of a diagnosis is tightly linked to medical professionals, and therapists don’t have medical degrees. But when it comes to mental illness, medical doctors aren’t the only ones who can make diagnoses.

While your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist can make a diagnosis and prescribe medication, they’re unlikely to provide therapeutic treatment. On the other hand, therapists, while they can’t prescribe medication, are licensed to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health issues — and they’re usually much better equipped to diagnose emotional or behavioral disorders than your medical doctor would be since their education and training is focused on mental health care.

Types of therapists who can diagnose

It takes a certain amount of education and training to identify the range of symptoms each mental illness might cause, and to differentiate among various, often similar mental disorders. For this reason, there are two main kinds of therapists who can make mental health diagnoses:

You can also get a diagnosis from a psychiatrist or, in many cases, from your primary care doctor. General practitioners don’t offer therapy, but they can prescribe medication and will refer you to a therapist or other specialist if you need it.

Mental health providers who don’t diagnose — but can still help

Not all mental health care providers can diagnose, but that doesn't mean they’re not equipped to help you manage your symptoms effectively. These providers include:

When it comes to more common behavioral or mental health issues, a diagnosis is sometimes less important than an effective plan of action. Yes, it may take a diagnosis to get the right plan, but especially if you’re dealing with depression or anxiety it’s crucial to get help as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the faster you’ll begin feeling better.

Therapists created Youper to make mental healthcare accessible to everyone. Youper is a mental health chatbot that guides you through interactive CBT Therapy exercises to help you calm anxiety, improve your relationships, be more productive, and improve your mood. Youper is available on your own time and schedule wherever and whenever needed.