What Psychiatrists Do A psychiatrist deals with cognitive and emotional problems in humans. A psychiatrist usually visits with his patients on weekly installments. There are sometimes special patients who need to visit more or less often, though. After each visit with his psychiatrist, one should feel more open about discussing his problems. A psychiatrist is able to make a diagnosis for his patients’ problems by listening to them, observing their actions and analyzing their diagnostic test results. Sometimes medication is a proper treatment for anxieties, fears, stress, pain, or other symptoms of illness. Other times, hospitalization of