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Psychology and Counselling Therapy for
Individuals and Families
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE ...
Counselling - Psychology - Psychiatry
COUNSELLING
Counsellors are mental health professionals who specialise in talk therapy, which means assisting you to move onward and forward from your current state.
Most of us adopt a humanistic stance toward clients, meaning that we prefer to see the person before the presenting issue. We adopt a so-called person-centered approach which allows us to address problems in a more positive way by working with you to clarify your history, exploring strategies together that will help you cope better, and developing options for healing and your improved wellbeing.
Counsellors have a wide range of qualifications. Be sure to check their specialisations; similarly to medical doctors, you would not want your podiatrist to repair your sore tooth.
Counsellors also work hand in hand with GPs and psychiatrists if prescriptions are required. Different to psychologists we do not require a referral from your GP and counsellors typically offer more affordable rates as we understand that often a long-term concern cannot be fixed in a few limited sessions. There are no limits placed on the number of times you can see your counsellor.
More and more private health insurance providers in Australia are aligning themselves with international standards and are covering counselling fees in part or in full.
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychologist tend to work within the medical framework. This means they understand their clients as patients who present with mental problems, psychological presentations or maladaptive behaviour patterns.
In the Australian system clinical psychologists are predominantly trained to conduct comprehensive psychological testing in order to reach a diagnosis, assigning a label to the patient in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). In this way they are similar to psychiatrist, however, they do not have prescription rights and cannot give you medication. Therefore, they work closely with your GP.
Psychologist typically also require your GP to provide you with a referral so that you may claim a proportion of the psychologist's fee back from Medicare.
The downside to this is the limited number of sessions permitted through Medicare each year, which leaves you to decide to quit therapy or accept higher fees after the rebates run out.
PSYCHIATRY
Psychiatrist are first and foremost medical doctors with a specialisation in psychiatry. Psychiatry is the medical field of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders.
Typically, they see patients who have severe mental health conditions and require extensive and/or prolonged intervention in the form of therapy, prescription pharmaceuticals and sometimes clinical admission. Therefore, psychiatrists widely work in hospitals or in clinics and private practice linked to hospitals, which means they can admit people if need be.
You will always require a referral to see a psychiatrist as they are medical specialists. Medicare may cover their specialist’s and hospitalisation fees in part or in full depending on the patient’s circumstances.