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What's the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychiatric NP?
Both diagnose and prescribe. A psychiatrist is a physician: medical school, then a four-year psychiatry residency. A psychiatric NP (PMHNP) is an advanced-practice nurse with specialized psychiatric training who, in Texas, prescribes under a supervising physician's delegation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD — Sun Jul 19 2026
Both diagnose and prescribe. A psychiatrist is a physician: medical school, then a four-year psychiatry residency. A psychiatric NP (PMHNP) is an advanced-practice nurse with specialized psychiatric training who, in Texas, prescribes under a supervising physician's delegation.
At Lyte that's not an org-chart fiction: our NP handles evaluations and medication management with Dr. Akintola supervising and taking the complex cases, all on one shared chart. Wondering where therapists fit into this? Psychiatrist vs. therapist, compared.
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