A clinical psychologist is a trained mental health professional. After completing BA/BSc and MA/MSc in Psychology, the individual is required to go through a two-year program which is intensive, hospital-based and supervised training known as MPhil. The course is governed by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) which provides a license to all individuals who successfully complete this course. The clinical psychologist is trained in making diagnosis of mental illnesses in children and adults through the use of detailed history and psychological assessments and work towards the management of the same.

A counselor/psychologist are those individuals who have completed their master’s in psychology and may have undergone internships/trainings/diploma courses in child and adolescent psychology or marital therapy. Depending on their training post-Masters, they may be proficient in providing counseling for lifestyle issues, relationship problems, providing supportive work to certain mental health issues such as mild anxiety. However, they are not trained to diagnose or provide psychotherapy for mental illnesses.

A clinical psychologist is a non-medical individual who has completed their MPhil in Clinical Psychology and provide psychological assessment and psychotherapy; while a psychiatrist is from a medical background and have completed their MBBS and MD in Psychiatry. The latter prescribes medicine.

Psychotherapy is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so that a person can function better and helps in increasing well-being and healing.

Psychotherapy via video conferencing has been found to be as effective as face to face. However, this does not apply to actively suicidal patients or those suffering from active psychotic symptoms. Tele-psychotherapy has been found to be less effective. Thus, tele psychotherapy/ counselling is advisable for those with less serious concerns.

No, as a clinical psychologist, I cannot prescribe you medication. However, after appropriate assessments, if I feel that you need medications, I will discuss the same with you and make appropriate referrals to a psychiatrist.

It always takes time to form any sort of working relationship, so lets see where this goes! Therapy is certainly a process where one takes time to find that trust and be comfortable with a stranger, sometimes that works well and sometimes it doesn't. But in case it doesn't work for you, I can always refer you to someone else.

The term “cure” is not normally talked about with mental health issues. The aim is to help you learn skills that can empower you and make you more confident and competent in dealing with various day-to-day and mental health issues, should they arise in future.

The sessions are strictly confidential and non-judgemental. However, if the patient is assessed to be of harm to self or others, the confidentiality clause is broken.

The relationship with the therapist is strictly ethical and professional and aimed towards treatment. If there is a breach in boundaries, I will be at at liberty to terminate therapeutic alliance.

These situations are difficult to handle via online therapy. For the sake of better management, please visit your nearest hospital/clinic/psychiatrist who can help.