Some psychologists tend to use “client” and “patient” interchangeably, but there’s an important difference between those terms. For example, a lawyer would never calls the people she assists “patients,” while a surgeon is unlikely to call the people he operates on “clients.” The term “patient” implies someone in need of help who has no skills or strengths to resolve their issues. It suggests a high-to-low relationship of an expert who provides assistance and a person in need