Counsellor and psychologist are two terms that are often used interchangeably. But the credentialing of counselling and psychology in Australia is quite different.

PSYCHOLOGY

In Australia, Psychology is highly regulated under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act, and anyone who calls themselves a psychologist must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and be listed with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). 

Registered psychologists undergo a minimum of six years of medically-focused university study in combination with supervised experience. Psychologists will have a B.S. in psychology and an M.S.(or PhD) in Psychology.

They are trained in the formal diagnosis and assessment of how people feel, behave, think and learn in relation to their life circumstances.

Psychologists are trained to use treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive restructuring and narrative exposure therapy to help you get the best from your treatment program.

COUNSELLING

In Australia, Counselling is a self-regulated profession, however organisations like the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) require their registered counsellors to complete accredited courses of study as well as internships and supervision.

Counsellors often have a B.S. in psychology (much like psychologists) or counselling and a M.S. in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Counsellors often choose the Counselling masters degree instead of the psychology masters as the they want to focus on one-on-one client interaction, and be less focused on working from a medical model. This also means that counsellors are less focused on diagnosis, and more focused on models of change.

All of the Here Completely Counsellors are members of the ACA, or PACFA, or AASWK (social work)

You do not require a referral from a medical doctor to see a counsellor.

If you wish to claim the costs of your mental health visits from Medicare, you must see a psychologist or mental health social worker with a referral or with a Mental Health Care Plan in place.

At Here Completely, we can assist you in deciding whether a counsellor or a psychotherapist is the best fit for your needs.

When scrolling through the pictures and details of our therapists, their titles will be clearly marked (counsellor, psychologist, psychotherapist, relationship counsellor, etc)

A counsellor may be a good fit if you’d like to define any concerns you might have about specific or general aspects of your life, your state of mind or your relationships with others. Counsellors often have specialities and not all counsellors work with all areas. Most counsellors can help with most complaints, however some counsellors have niches and specialties with years of training, education and experience in micro areas. It’s worth your effort to check out if there is a counsellor or psychtherapist

They can assist you to improve your well-being and overall quality of life.

A psychologist may be a good fit if you would like to receive qualified, on-going mental health care in a one-on-one setting. Psychologists can assist with cognitive therapy and its many variations, which allow you to change your behaviour and outlook by changing the way you think and feel and improving overall mental wellness.

A psychiatrist may be a good fit if recommended by a medical doctor, or if psychiatric medication is recommended for symptom relief from a mental health disorder, or if you ares suffering from a severe or debilitating mental health condition such as depression, anxiety disorder or a complex condition such as schizophrenia.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors. They attend four years of medical school before spending a minimum of five years in residency becoming skilled in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health conditions. Psychiatrists often maintain a life time of training in specific areas of mental health associated with life stages such as childhood or adolescence, or in very specific fields of mental health such as addiction.

There is considerable overlap between the range of mental health conditions that psychiatrists and psychologists can treat, however only psychiatrists (and other doctors) can prescribe medication for your mental health needs.

You generally need a referral first from a general practitioner to see a psychiatrist, and their costs may be covered by Medicare with a referral or if you have a Mental Health Care plan in place.

At Here Completely, we are associated with a number of qualified psychiatrists and can assist you in finding the right practitioner for your needs.

First things first: you my have heard the term psychotherapist and wonder exactly what it means and who it is referring to.

Psychotherapist is a broad umbrella term that includes all of the professionals who deal with the management of mental health. A psychotherapist could be a social worker, counsellor, therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Psychotherapy refers to all of the therapies that are used by these professionals to help define, treat and overcome mental health conditions, improving your emotional state and leading to a happier, healthier life.

OK. Here’s where it gets tricky.

In Australia, psychotherapy specifically refers to a theoretical underpinning based on psychotherapy models. Psychotherapy treatment is often longer term, and more inwardly focused and incorporates a psychodynamic model. These models focus on the internal psychological drives and forces to help explain human behavior and personality.

Short and sweet: Psychodynamic work is often about unpacking past baggage and figuring out how to understand it so it affects you less. Basically it helps you unpack that baggage and leave it behind!

Psychodynamic work is understanding your feelings and behavior by exploring the questions such as WHY IS IT HERE/ HOW DID IT GET HERE/ WHAT’S MY RELATIONSHIP WITH IT.

People choose to work psychodynamically when dealing with things from the past; family violence, past trauma, difficult behaviors, addictions, anxiety and even some depression. Psychodynamic work is longer term work that helps you understand your distressing feelings and behaviors and release them.

STAY TUNED

Here are some tips for choosing what type of therapist works best for you:

1- Understand any ‘must haves’ such as cost, time, and type of person you want to work with (i.e. male or female, day/time you can meet, etc)

2- Develop an overview of what you want to accomplish: Overcoming and eating disorder is vastly different than getting coping skills for anxiety. Overcoming childhood abuse is very different than addressing work stress. Have an idea about what kind of speciality you are looking for. Any sort of deep work most likely requires somebody who has experience and expertise in this area. Ask about the expertise.

3- Select the therapist based on your priorities and who most reflects the expertise you are looking for, as well as meets the ‘must-haves.’

For example: if you have a barrier about finances (and no judgment here. We totally get that!) you may want to prioritize seeing a psychologist where you can use a mental health plan.

If you are dealing with complex childhood stuff, or leaving a difficult relationship, you may want to prioritize selecting somebody specifically with the expertise even if you can’t use a mental health plan.

And most importantly, choose somebody who seems like you might click with. Studies continue to show our mental health outcomes are based on the relationship with the therapist and not necessarily on the modality used.

I know. Weird but true.

And finally: If this all seems overwhelming, and we agree it is, just tell us a little bit about what’s going on.

We have the ability to get you connected to the person we think might be the best fit. Find My Best Fit