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To allow psychologists to prescribe drugs to their patients would actually be a disservice in that it could eventually eliminate one of the most, if not thee most, important components in the road to the restoration of good mental health; the counseling that is so vitally needed; not only because of its use in diagnosing various mental conditions, but because it is also very often the only type of therapy needed to get the person back on the road to wellness.

Psychiatric drugs most definitely have their place in the management of mental disorders, and can very often, and do, literally save the lives of many distressed and hurting people. But because so many of these drugs carry with them some very undesirable side effects, they should only be prescribed when it is clear that counseling alone is not working. And then, only when a definitive diagnosis, that cannot be treated through psychotherapy alone, has been established by a qualified therapist who will then usually refer the patient to a psychiatrist who can confirm the diagnosis and prescribe the proper medication.

Although a significant number of patients will, in fact, require drug therapy, the overwhelming majority of them will be helped just by having someone listen to them with empathy and compassion. Very often, the psychologist will not only be a "sounding board" for the patient to vent their troubles, but they can also dispense advice on how the patient can deal with some of their problems, in addition to providing validation for the patient's feelings.

Allowing psychologists to prescribe medications to their patients could potentially do away with talk therapy altogether, particularly in this day and age when our health care system is in such disarray. With health care providers ushering patients in and out of their clinics and hospitals as fast as they can, in an attempt to save money, many people are not receiving the care and attention they not only need, but deserve.

Counseling cannot take the place of medications, just as medications cannot take the place of counseling. Sometimes only one of the two is necessary. Often times, both are employed simultaneously for maximum results. Whatever the situation though, it would be a mistake to try and replace the role of the psychologist as a counselor to that of a psychiatrist or a pharmacist; positions for which they are neither qualified nor needed to fill.

Learn more about this author, Marea E. Johnson.
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