Should I see a Counsellor, or a Psychologist?
Life sometime throws challenges at you. It may be from stress, grief, conflict, or sadness. In times like these, you may find yourself considering therapy, and you may have wondered whether a psychologist, or a counsellor would best suit you.
Both Psychologists and counsellors are both mental health professionals trained to help clients with a range of issues. However, there are some key differences between the two, and knowing these differences may be helpful in deciding which professional best suits your needs.
So, who is the best mental health professional for you?
Counsellors
- Counsellors provide information on vocational, relationship, social and educational difficulties and issues, and work with people to help them to identify and define their emotional issues through therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, interpersonal therapy and other talking therapies.
- Clinical Counsellors are similar to psychologists in the work they do, in that they are experienced working with a range of mental health issues and use evidence-based therapeutic counselling approaches to support clients.
- Counselling is not a government regulated profession in Australia, so people seeking the support from a counsellor should look into a counsellors training, qualifications, experience, and membership of a recognised regulatory body.
- Registered Clinical counsellors in Australia belong to a national regulatory body, such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) – https://www.pacfa.org.au/ and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) – https://www.theaca.net.au/
- To register as a clinical member as a part of PAFCA or ACA, involves ongoing supervision, ongoing professional development and a certain number of years of experience (6 years for ACA).
- Training for registered counsellors involves four to six years of tertiary study along with supervised training and ongoing professional development.
- According to the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) a survey conducted in May 2021 reported that counselling and psychotherapy fees were between $100 – $160. PACFA state that counselling fees are often less than the ‘gap’ charged by a psychologist, even with the Medicare rebate. Some health insurances offer rebates for counselling and psychotherapy.
- Looking for a Counsellor: https://www.pacfa.org.au/FindATherapist, https://www.theaca.net.au/find-registered-counsellor.php.
Psychologists
- Psychologists investigate, assess and provide treatment and counselling to foster optimal personal, social, educational and occupational adjustment and development.
- Psychologists complete four to six years of tertiary study, and are trained in the assessment, diagnosis, management and/or prevention of mental health conditions.
- Psychologists have special training in diagnosis and assessment, and they tend to support people with more severe mental health problems.
- To practice in Australia, Psychologists are required to be registered by the Psychology Board of Australia.
- Psychologists use talk therapies and evidence based treatments and interventions that focus on human behaviour and mental processes involved in how people feel and think.
- According to the Australian Psychological Society (APS) the fees that psychologists charge vary depending on the services they offer. The APS National Schedule of Fees 2022-2023 has the standard 46 to 60-minute consultation fee at $280.
- Medicare and/or private health fund rebates are available for the services of Registered Psychologists in Australia. The Medicare care rebate for a General Psychologist is $89.65 per session.
- Looking for a Psychologist: https://psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist
So, which is the best fit for me?
A counsellor may be a good fit if your issue is straight-forward such as such as relationship troubles, low self-esteem or work problems. It may also be quicker to get an appointment with a counsellor, and their costs may often be lower than a psychologist. You do not need a referral from your General Practitioner.
A psychologist may be a good fit if you are experiencing a severe mental illness or long term mental health concerns that are impacting your life. Psychologist are trained to support clients with complex psychological conditions. In addition, psychologists may administer psychological tests and diagnose mental illnesses. To be able to claim a rebate through Medicare you will require a referral from your General Practitioner.
Whether you decide to see a psychologist or counsellor, it is important to do your research to find the right mental professional to suit your needs. If in doubt do not hesitate to reach out and ask if they can help you with your particular issue.
Ultimately, whether you see a psychologist or counsellor it is the therapeutic relationship that is essential is defining the success of counselling or therapy. Without the therapeutic relationship there can be no therapy. No matter who you choose, make sure you feel a 100% comfortable with your mental health professional.
At M-Power Counselling, we offer the best of both counselling and psychology. For more information, reach out today, and find out more about how we can help you.
