Counsellors and Psychologists Melbourne – Differences and Similarities?
There are many overlaps between a counsellor and a psychologist. One of the important things in search for a therapist would be to look for someone whom you feel comfortable with, and who understands you the way that you need, whether they are a counsellor or a psychologist.
What Is Counselling?
A General Overview of Counselling
Counselling can be a general term to describe “talk therapy”. It usually adopts a more person-centred approach and does not necessarily need to diagnose or address specific mental health conditions (but can). All helpful therapy will start with an understanding of the individual by providing a safe-enough space to tell their stories and express their feelings.
When Is Counselling Helpful?
In counselling, individuals may also be introduced to strategies to address specific issues, such as anger management, relationship problems, stress management etc. In addition to individual work, counsellors also provide services such as couples counselling, relationship counselling, and family counselling.
What Do Psychologists Do?
For those seeking psychologists in Melbourne, it's important to know that psychologists are trained professionals with (usually) a higher level of qualification, which are regulated by professional bodies such as APS and APHRA. Psychologists are more specifically trained to understand the associations of thoughts, emotions and behaviours. They can have more specific skills to provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment for mental health problems, such as Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Eating Disorders, Personality Disorders etc.
Therapies Used by Psychologists
Often, psychologists provide treatment in structured therapeutic frameworks and approaches. You may have heard about therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) or Mindfulness etc. All of these structured therapies have targeted therapeutic goals and many are considered as having evidence base for benefit in specific conditions.
You can read more about specific therapies on our Services page.