Psychologist, Psychiatrist: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a counsellor?

A simple way to distinguish between these three practitioners is to look at what they have studied to earn their title.

Psychologist: have primarily been trained in the science of behavior. They are most interested in understanding human behavior and generally conduct research, perform testing, and evaluate and treat a full range of emotional and psychological challenges. To be able to practice as a psychologist in Australia you must have completed the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s requirements for registration.

The word 'psychology' basically comes from the Greek word 'psyche', originally meanin 'life' or 'soul', combined with 'logy', originally 'to study'.

Psychiatrist: have primarily trained as a medical practitioners and then pursued further studies in mental health. A psychiatrist is able to diagnose specific mental illnesses according to the DSM-V and is also able to prescribe medication to treat mental illness. A psychiatrist is a registered medical practitioner.

The word 'psychiatry' stems also from the Greek word 'psyche' combined with 'iatry' which means 'medical treatment'.

Counsellors: have primarily been trained in methods for listening and responding in specific ways to people’s problems.  They may have studied any number of different therapies including person-centred counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing, or narrative therapy among others. There are now apparently over 400 different types of theoretical orientations and techniques. Counsellors in Australia do not have to be registered to provide services and therefore they do not have to hold any qualifications. It is a good idea to ask a counsellor what and where they have studied prior to booking an appointment.
 

How do I find a psychologist?

There are lots of ways to find a psychologist in your locality. The first option is to use web sites like the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency or the Australian Counselling Association to find a practice near to where you live. These sites are also often helpful for finding a practitioner who specializes in specific areas, for example adolescents, children, or relationships.

You could also talk to friends and relatives who have already seen a psychologist as they may have some thoughts about practitioners who work in your region. Remember though that psychologists are a little like a mechanic or a hairdresser – your friends may love the service that they receive however if you don’t it doesn’t mean that you vow off getting your car serviced or your hair cut for the rest of your life – keep talking to different psychologists until you find someone you feel comfortable with.

When you do find the name of a psychologist whom you are considering working with it is a good idea to give them a call and have a chat over the phone. You may evan be able to negotiate an initial session to allow you to get a feel for the practitioner, how they work and whether or not you feel comfortable divulging your concerns to that particular person. Remember that for counselling or psychological treatment to work you are going to need to be honest and open with the practitioner or they will struggle to understand your concerns and develop a treatment plan to assist you.
  

Can I request a referral to a specific psychologist or does my doctor have to choose who I see?

If you have a preferred psychologist, maybe someone a friend has recommended, you may provide your doctor with the name and contact details of that psychologist and your doctor will provide a referral letter for you to see this person.
 

How could seeing a psychologist help me?

Sometimes in life we find ourselves in a situation that seems a little overwhelming or confusing, or we notice that perhaps our life is not heading in the direction we want it to or that things just don’t feel ‘right’. A caring psychologist is able to listen non-judgmentally to your experience (sometimes this is all you need, did you know that simply listening to yourself talk can provide you with a completely different perspective on your problems because you are engaging different parts of your brain as you talk?), and then work with you to clearly delineate your problem and come up with some alternative plans of action (we often find that our clients already have the answer, they just needed someone to really listen to them and help them to identify their strengths rather than focus on their weaknesses!).

When the issue involves your marriage or relationship counselling, the psychologist may work with both you and your partner to teach you how to heal any hurts and to grow a healthy, supportive, loving relationship.

To book an appointment to talk to a psychologist today contact us on 0404 248 576 or send through a confidential email. Get your life back on-track!