What You Need To Know About Mental Health Care in Morristown

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"During these unprecedented and unpredictable times, it's helpful to know what's in our control and what our options are." Dr. Nancy Sachar Sidhu, Ph.D., is president of the Morris County Psychological Association. I spoke with her this weekend about the mental health care needs of Morristown residents. Our conversation was aimed at finding the information locals need who are new to the area or just new to mental health care.

We're slowly figuring out just how important therapy is for EVERYONE. After all, mental health impacts psychical health. So to keep Morristown residents in tip-top shape, both mentally and physically, I asked the leading expert in our area what we need to know.

To start off, let's define and differentiate between a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, and licensed professional counselor. In Dr. Sidhu's words, "the difference between them is how they were trained, their focus of looking at someone and their issues, and how many years of graduate school." A psychologist is trained in knowing how to assess, diagnose, understand research about effective treatments, and conduct therapy. Dr. Sidhu explained that Psychologists in NJ need a Ph.D. or Psy.D. "which usually entails five years of graduate school."

Not all psychologists are trained to be therapists, our Hollywood "TV shrink" is what Dr. Sidhu and her colleagues call a clinical psychologist. These are psychologists specifically trained to be a therapist.

The main difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist is that psychiatrists can prescribe medication. "Psychiatrists are trained in the medical model, having gone to medical school, and their focus is on the biology of the person, and they prescribe medication."

Dr. Sidhu also noted that "some psychologists can take a special training program to be able to prescribe medication."

The best place to start is with a clinical psychologist. If they determine medication may be necessary, they could direct you to a psychiatrist to add to your mental health network that would work with your therapist to prescribe the right medication for you.

As someone much too familiar with the trials and tribulations of finding the right medication, it's important to know that it may take some time, but you don't have to struggle through medication test runs anymore. Genetic testing has given psychiatry its first "MRI"-like gene test allowing psychiatrists to determine which medications would cause the least side effects. Once a reputable and licensed psychiatrist has diagnosed you, this genetic test (GeneSight is one of many brands) will identify medications least likely to cause adverse side effects and your psychiatrist can prescribe the appropriate medication for your ailments. This service is usually free with insurance and can be acquired by any psychiatrist that asks for it, so ask your doctor. And don't take no for an answer. But I have digressed. Moving on.

Social workers usually have a two-year master's degree and tend to focus on community support services. Sidhu mentioned that "there are many excellent therapists in each specialty, as well as therapists that are not helpful."

The key, according to Dr. Sidhu seems to be a collaborative mental health network. When you find the mental health professionals right for you, it's important that they communicate with each other and you communicate your needs and feelings with them. Keeping an open line of communication between all of your doctors is the best way to ensure you're getting the best care possible.

Finally, it's important to know if your therapist is licensed, and with whom they are licensed. "Anyone can put out a shingle and say they are licensed by someone. In, NJ, psychologists are licensed by the Board of Psychological Examiners. This means that they had to pass the cutoffs on national and state written exams, as well as an NJ oral exam giving them the seal of approval by the NJ Consumer Affairs. They have to follow ethical guidelines and laws governing the state of NJ, they have to keep up to date on current laws, practices, and effective treatments to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people in NJ," said Dr. Sidhu.

So if you find yourself with a choice between two excellent therapists, and one is a psychologist, most likely the psychologist has "more years of education and a more nuanced understanding of assessing and diagnosing."

Is there anything else you want to know about mental health care? Post your questions in the comments below.


Dr. Nancy Sachar Sidhu, Ph.D. has been in practice for almost 30 years. Dr. Sidhu has a private practice in Chester working with children, teens, and adults. Dr. Sidhu is the current president of the Morris County Psychological Association.

nancysidhuphd.com

https://www.mcpanj.com/

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