What’s the difference between a counsellor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist

As a counsellor, people often ask what is the difference between what I offer and seeing a psychologist.

 

Counsellors have been trained in the art of listening and supporting people. Counsellors do not put as much focus on mental health diagnoses or use as many assessments as Psychologists.

Counsellors can have anywhere from a 2-year Diploma Qualification to Degree level and post graduate training. (I have a Masters Degree as well as a Bachelor).

A good tip is to look for a counsellor who is accredited with the Australian Counselling Association.

Counsellors usually charge between $90- $180 for a session and many have rebates for Private Health Insurance but are not currently able to offer Medicare rebates. Many people prefer to see a counsellor as they do not need a GP referral, and some people don’t feel comfortable talking about their personal lives with their GP.

Counsellors use many of the same modalities as Psychologists. All Psychologists in Australia hold a general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and have extensive training and experience as part of that registration, usually 6 years of training.

Psychologists are experts in how the mind functions and often assess people for different mental health and behavioural disorders.

Unlike Psychiatrists, Psychologists cannot prescribe medications. The Australian Psychological Society suggests Psychologists charge $260 for 50 minutes and Medicare rebate may be available (between $84 and $128 back.) People with a mental health diagnosis, disability, chronic medical condition, recent or current pregnancy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can receive up to 10 bulk billed sessions per year.

A Psychiatrist is a medical Doctor who works specifically with Mental Health issues. They take comprehensive mental health assessments and provide clinical diagnoses and treatment plans including prescribing psychotropic medication such as antidepressants.

It takes up to 11 years of training to become a Registered Psychiatrist. Psychiatrists generally work with people with complex conditions such as schizophrenia, severe depression and bipolar disorder. Fees range from $300 to over $400 but Medicare will often provide a rebate so your out-of-pocket cost would be between $40 and $170. Some Psychiatrists bulk bill.

If you would like to learn more about Ella’s extensive qualifications and experiences see; https://ellashannon.com/about-ella.html#/

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Arguments happening often? Try this.

Couples often seek relationship counselling because they are having lots of arguments. They love each other and hate feeling like this but are stuck in bad habits. Counselling can be a great support to unpack certain themes and stuck points. I hear all the time “This...

EMDR Therapy, An Attachment & IFS Informed Approach

EMDR Goes beyond Talk Therapy. Counselling is an effective step towards wellbeing. It helps to talk, but sometimes, despite all the talking and doing the ‘right’ things - nothing changes. This is where Transformative Trauma Therapies like EMDR Therapy come in. Every...

How to Feel Beautiful

The ancient Goddess and Earth Religions understood the sacredness of the body; they worshipped nature and embraced the cycles of birth, life and death. They saw beauty in the bloody mess of menstruation, sex, birth and death.Before Tantra came on the scene, most of...

Everyday Moments As Ritual

I have a prayer for you, or really an invitation.. That you may deepen into the everyday moments- and turn them  into little pieces of ritual. Taking every chance to recognise the exquisite ecstasy available to us in this playground of existence. Seize these little...

Having a great sex life- Advice for Women, and People who love them.

As a Clinical Sexologist, I have the privileged opportunity to know the intricacies of many people’s sex lives. Therefore, I can say directly that there is no ‘normal’ or right number of times a month or ways of being intimate that are right for everyone. What is...

Why scheduling sex is a great idea

Many people think scheduling sex sounds boring and makes it dull, however scheduling sex can have enormous benefits. Sex often happens late at night when both are in bed at the end of the day. This can be lovely and orgasms can promote a lovely restful night’s sleep,...

What’s the difference between a counsellor, a psychologist and a psychiatrist

As a counsellor, people often ask what is the difference between what I offer and seeing a psychologist.   Counsellors have been trained in the art of listening and supporting people. Counsellors do not put as much focus on mental health diagnoses or use as many...

How can emdr help me to heal?

 People come to counselling for a wide range of reasons. Some want to heal from traumatic experiences in their past such as childhood abuse, sexual assault, growing up with critical parents or other specific events. But many people see a therapist because they just...

Help! I have no libido

One of the most common reasons for seeking a sex therapist is a perceived lack of libido. Libido is another word for ‘sex drive’, how driven you are towards being sexual and how often you feel sexual desire and arousal. It can be helpful to understand that desire and...

Can relationship counselling help recover from an affair

A common reason that people seek couple counselling is at the revelation of an affair. The knee-jerk reaction is to ask the person who betrayed to leave and end it there, but many couples choose to try counselling first and see if healing may be possible. And yes...