Are psychiatrists trained to give both therapy and medication?

Yes.: But clinical practices vary among psychiatrists. Some are more skilled at "therapy" than others. And, some do not do regular therapy themselves, but refer out for this. Often, the patient's insurance restrictions make it very difficult to get ongoing therapy from your treating psychiatrist.

Therapy: Yes, mostly supportive psychotherapy.

It varies: Although psychiatry residents are required to have training in psychotherapy, many programs offer limited training. If you think psychotherapy might be appropriate for you, ask your psychiatrist how extensive his training is. Sourceslike the american psychoanalytic association's "find an analyst" function (www.Apsa.Org) can direct you to very well trained psychotherapists.

Some: All psychiatrists get trained in psychotherapy..It is then o to the psychiatrist whether he gets further in depth training in one of the disciplines of therapy. One of the most promising psychotherapies is cognitive behavioral therapy, it o's pragmatic, practical and is very helpful with palpable results in mood and anxiety disorders.

It can be variable: Personally, i was trained extensively in both psychotherapies and medications as well as many other areas. I worked with my own patients under supervision, including with videotaped sessions & process notes. Out of interest, i chose to get more training after residency too. Some training programs are more focused on biological than talk therapies, so you need to ask how the psychiatrist works.