What is the difference between a therapist and a physician?
1) What is the difference between a therapist and a physician?
2) What is the difference between a family therapist and a family physician?
Thanks!
Upd.:
merriam-webster.com: therapist - an individual specializing in the therapeutic medical treatment of impairment, injury, disease, or disorder; especially, a health-care professional trained in methods of treatment and rehabilitation other than the use of drugs or surgery
merriam-webster.com: physician - a person skilled in the art of healing; specifically, one educated, clinically experienced, and licensed to practice medicine as usually distinguished from surgery
So, it's the doctors that are both general practitioners not doing surgical operations.
Solution 1:
A practicing physician has to be a licenced doctor with a medical degree. They usually are governed by a oversight board such as the GMC (General Medical Council) in the UK.
A Family Physician also called a Family Doctor or General Practitioner is your local doctor, your usual first port of call if you are unwell, as opposed to a hospital doctor.
A therapist does not have to have a medical degree, but has usually trained in one or more specific disciplines such as podiatry, sports injury or osteopathy. In many countries they too have to be licenced, frequently by their own speciality oversight body.
A Family Therapist probably denotes someone who specialises in trying to resolve family problems, such as a Marriage guidance Counsellor.
A doctor is permitted by law to write prescriptions for drugs. A therapist is not except possibly in very restricted circumstances. For example a psychiatrist may be permitted to write prescriptions for the treatment of mental illness.
Some therapists have to be qualified to degree standard in order to practice legally, such as psychiatrists. Others don't, but in general the authorities in many countries are clamping down on unlicensed and unqualified therapists as they are seen as often doing more harm than good.