Is it possible to become a psychiatrist without a degree?

Answer 1

No. It is not possible to perform any real psychotherapy without a license.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD) who has specialized further with more school to become a psychiatrist, and they can prescribe medications and procedures in addition to psychotherapy. They can also give referrals.

A psychologist has a PsyD or PhD in psychology with specialized study in therapy. They take an exam for licensure.

A Nurse Practitioner can be specialized in psychiatric nursing and perform psychotherapy and prescribe medications. This is a nurse with lots of experience who obtains a special master's degree which prepares them to go beyond their RN license and get an NP license, then more specialization in psychiatric nursing / psychology. Sometimes these people had a bachelor's in psych before they went to nursing school, or, they have experience as nurses in a psych setting.

There are also various counselors such as licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) and people with masters degrees in family counseling and conflict resolution. These professionals often set up shop or work in a healthcare facility or clinic setting. They perform limited counseling and referral but generally cannot prescribe medications or in-depth psychotherapy. However, they are often the most communicative and accessible. Many insurance plans LOVE to have people go see a counselor to talk things out BEFORE they end up under too much stress, needing more expensive care, meds, etc. When you go to a counselor, you don't get diagnosed with mental illness, which carries a stigma and also has insurance consequences. Counselors are simply people with whom people can talk out problems and look for solutions or new ways of coping that they'd never considered or heard of.