M.H.A.S.O.’s goal is to find the mental health professional that best suits your needs. The most important objective is to find the mental health professional that best relates to you, and has expertise with your personal needs.
Psychologist
A psychologist is a mental health professional who has education on the study of the human mind. Psychologists specialize in emotional, cognitive, and social processes and behavior. All psychologists who interact with patients have a Ph.D. Although they have a Ph.D, psychologists are not medical doctors, and cannot prescribe medication.
Psychotherapist
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers can all become trained psychotherapists. A psychotherapist uses evidence-based talk-based therapy methods, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to assist clients with challenges they face.
Social Worker
A social worker is a mental health professional whose education is about the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Social workers help people solve and cope with everyday problems that arise in their lives. Typically, social workers possess a Master's Degree. Social workers often have strong backgrounds in advocacy and community outreach work. This means that they are often the best at finding community resources that can support clients outside of the office. Social workers also have the widest range of specialties compared to psychiatrists, and psychologists. Examples of social worker specializations can include topic-based ones, such as: grief, substance use, and mood disorders. Some social workers also specialize in working with certain populations, such as: families, couples, Indigenous people, the LGBTQ community, children, adolescents (teenagers), and the elderly.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician (medical doctor), whose education focuses on the biological aspects of mental health. A psychiatrist is the only mental health professional who is able to prescribe medication. To see a psychiatrist, a referral from another mental health professional or physician is typically required.