What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has completed an MBBS degree followed by a postgraduate MD in Psychiatry. Because psychiatrists are physicians, they can diagnose mental illness, prescribe medication, order and interpret medical tests, and manage conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and severe anxiety. A psychologist holds university degrees in psychology rather than medicine and treats people through talk therapy: structured approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), REBT, and DBT that work on unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. Psychologists in India do not prescribe medication. In practice the two roles complement each other. Many people see a psychologist for therapy alone, some need a psychiatrist for diagnosis and medication, and many do best with both professionals working from one shared treatment plan. If you are unsure where to start, a psychiatric evaluation settles the question, because a psychiatrist can assess you fully and refer you to therapy when that is the better fit.
Neither role is a lesser version of the other. They answer different questions. A psychiatrist asks what is happening in the brain and body, and whether medicine should be part of the answer. A psychologist asks which patterns of thought, feeling, and behaviour keep a problem going, and how to change them.
How do their training paths differ?
A psychiatrist's route runs through medical school. In India, that means earning an MBBS, completing a compulsory internship, and then training for a postgraduate MD in Psychiatry under supervision in hospital settings. Dr. Sandeep Vohra, the founder of Dr Vohra's, followed this path before building more than 30 years of clinical experience.
A psychologist's route runs through the science of behaviour. It usually begins with bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, after which clinical psychologists complete a recognised professional qualification, such as an MPhil in Clinical Psychology, with supervised training in assessment and therapy. The result is deep expertise in psychological testing and structured talk therapies rather than in medicine.
Do you need medication or talk therapy?
It depends on the condition and how far it has progressed. Talk therapy on its own is often the right first step for stress, grief, burnout, relationship difficulties, and mild anxiety or low mood that has not yet disrupted sleep, appetite, or work. Counselling approaches such as CBT, REBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based therapy teach concrete skills that stay with you long after the sessions end.
Medication enters the picture when symptoms are moderate to severe, or when the condition has a strong biological component, as in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, severe depression, OCD, and ADHD. For many conditions, evidence supports combining the two: medication to steady the symptoms, therapy to change the patterns that feed them. Only a proper clinical evaluation can tell you which mix applies to you, so guessing on your own is the one option worth avoiding.
How do psychiatrists and psychologists work together?
At Dr Vohra's in East Patel Nagar, New Delhi, both professions have worked side by side since 1998. Psychiatrists Dr. Sandeep Vohra and Dr. Aditya Vohra handle evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management, while the clinic's psychologists and therapists deliver counselling, CBT, REBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based sessions. Referrals travel in both directions: a psychiatrist may stabilise symptoms and hand over to a therapist for skills work, and a therapist who notices signs that need medical attention can bring a psychiatrist into the plan quickly.
The same structure covers couples and family therapy and child and adolescent psychiatry, and every service is available in person at the New Delhi clinic or online via secure video and voice call. You can read more about how clinical care is organised or meet the team before you book.
Which should you see first?
A few common situations, and the sensible first door to knock on:
- Low mood most days, with changes in sleep, appetite, or energy: start with a psychiatrist, who can confirm or rule out clinical depression.
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide: see a psychiatrist promptly rather than waiting to try therapy first.
- Stress, burnout, grief, or relationship trouble: a psychologist is usually the right first stop.
- A child or teenager struggling with behaviour, attention, or school: book a child and adolescent psychiatry consultation, which can draw in both professionals.
- Suspected ADHD, OCD, PTSD, or bipolar disorder: psychiatric evaluation first, because an accurate diagnosis shapes everything that follows.
- Genuinely unsure: either professional can redirect you, so simply book and let the assessment decide.
If you would rather measure than guess, the Stressometer can help. It is a patented digital screening tool with 55 validated questions across 5 dimensions, takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and produces an instant colour-coded report with Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red bands. Higher bands point towards structured therapy or psychiatric evaluation, lower bands towards self-care, which makes it a practical way to decide which professional to approach. One assessment costs Rs. 499 in India.
What do cost and time look like?
Therapy is usually a recurring commitment: sessions at a weekly or fortnightly rhythm for a stretch of weeks or months, depending on the goal. Psychiatric care tends to be front-loaded: a longer first evaluation, then shorter follow-up reviews spaced further apart as treatment settles. Neither path locks you in, and plenty of people move between the two as their needs change.
Consultation fees at Dr Vohra's vary by clinician and by format, and are shared on request through the contact form, by phone at +91-9999249223, or on WhatsApp. Sessions run in English and Hindi, in person in New Delhi or online across India and more than 40 countries. Answers to common questions about booking and pricing are on the FAQ page.