People have told me that they never know whether to call me "Dr. Blackley," Ms. Blackley or Jodi. Let me clarify how to distinguish the different degrees in the mental health field.
A social worker will have a Master's degree in Social Work and have a License in Clinical Social Work. Unless they sought out a Doctoral degree beyond their Master's, you would not call them a "Doctor."
A therapist will have a Master's degree in Counseling or Clinical Psychology and have a License in Marriage and Family Therapy. Unless they sought out a Doctoral degree beyond their Master's, you would not call them a "Doctor." For this reason, addressing me as Jodi is more than appropriate. If this feels too informal for you, Ms. Blackley is fine as well.
A psychologist has earned a Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) or a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D.). You may call a psychologist a "Doctor" as they have earned the appropriate degree.
A psychiatrist is a doctor of medicine (M.D.). Like a general practitioner or a cardiologist, a psychiatrist has also gone through medical school, residency and has earned the appropriate degrees to be called a "Doctor."
Hopefully this will help clarify when to call a mental health practitioner a "Doctor" or not. As for me, please feel free to call me Jodi.
If you have questions about this or any other blog, Please feel to leave comments. I'll be happy to respond.
1 comment:
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