What is Psychiatry?

Psychiatry is a field of medicine, dedicated to mental health. It focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and investigation of behavioural and mental disorders, integrating biological, social and physiological aspects of human life and behaviour to the understanding of mental health.

What differences are there between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?

Training is the main difference between a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist. Psychiatrists and psychologists get to the field of mental health through different studies and training. Psychiatrists do it via medicine; clinical psychologists, via psychology.  A psychiatrist is a doctor who has specialized in mental health, an expert in detecting medical to non-medical conditions that affect individuals’ mental health and behaviour. This involves - among other things - physical examinations and referrals for lab analysis etc. - as with any other doctor. Psychiatrists can also prescribe medicine; psychologists don’t. Psychologists can work in a variety of fields (education, justice, sports, and business). It is clinical psychology that shares the field with psychiatry.

Both psychologists and psychiatrists can train as psychotherapists (postgraduate studies) so either can also work as psychotherapists.
A psychiatric treatment can support or complement psychotherapy, and vice versa. In Hestía we highly value interdisciplinary work.

What is it useful for?

Being that most psychiatrists employ both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic methods, psychiatry is applied to, more or less, the same areas as psychotherapy.

Some of  the most common motives for consultation are related to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic Attacks
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Affective Disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder  
• Psychotic Disorders
• Phobias
• Addictions
• Child and Adolescent Behaviour Disorders
• Hyperactivity
• Affective disorders related to old age

How does it work?

Treatment varies in accordance to the needs of each individual. In Hestia we consider that pharmacological treatments should support and complement - not substitute- psychotherapy treatments. For this reason, our psychiatrists are also trained as psychotherapists. Our approach supports a limited and responsible use of psychiatric medicine, aiming to progressively decrease and -when possible- eliminate drug administration.

Service offered in: English, Spanish/Castellano, Catalan, Italian

How can I receive more information or make an appointment?

For more information you may ask for a free informative visit with one of our specialists, who will be able to inform you in greater detail and help you clarify possible doubts.

If you would like to make an appointment, you may contact us via email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone: 934592802, 608384682 or via our on-line information document.