Types of mental health therapists and how to tell if they’re actually qualified.

For Everyone

Types of mental health therapists and how to tell if they’re actually qualified.

Published by

L Andrews

on

May 27, 2024

Written with love by Lacey Andrews, Psychologist and Science Writer

Click here for our blog disclaimer

I use the term therapist frequently in some my blogs. I do this to try to be as broad as possible when talking about the mental health profession. I am a Psychologist, however you do not necessarily need to be a Psychologist to deliver mental health therapy. However, I do admit that by being broad, I may be running the risk of being unclear. My goal with this blog is to create a cheat sheet so you can self assess if the therapist you are seeing – or considering seeing – is qualified to help you.

In this blog:

Therapist and Counsellor – Explained.
Provisional Psychologists, Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists with other endorsements, oh my.
Mental Health Social Worker.
How can I see a therapist?
I need mental health support now.

Therapist and Counsellor – Explained.

Female therapist points to a blackboard white chalk diagrams.

On the face of it, a therapist is someone who provides therapy, and a counsellor is someone who counsels. Pretty straightforward so far. The thing to remember here is that anyone can call themselves a therapist, and anyone can call themselves a counsellor. These titles are not what’s called “legally protected”. If someone wants to create a bunch of social media accounts for their business “Michael Scott Therapy and Counselling Centre, I am definitely a Therapist and/or Counsellor, book now”. There’s nothing anyone can do to stop them. But, just because nobody can stop them, does not mean that they are qualified to provide anyone an effective mental health service.

However, in saying that, it does not mean that someone calling themselves a therapist or counsellor is not qualified! I personally know some wonderfully kind, supportive and qualified therapists and counsellors. But how do I know they are qualified?

They have diplomas, or degrees from accredited institutions. They may also be registered members of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Australia (PACFA) and/or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). If they are registered with PACFA or ACA, you can use the find a therapist functionality on these websites to double check their membership status (so if they claim they are a member of PACFA and ACA, you should be able to find them!).

And that’s just the therapists and counsellors who are not also Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists with other endorsements, or Mental Health Social Workers!

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Provisional Psychologists, Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Psychologists with other endorsements, oh my.

Young male client with shocked and confused expression.

There are so many different types of Psychologist. I remember being a first year student in my Bachelors degree and having such a hard time understanding all the different types, and how they differ. I will break it down as well as I can.

Psychologist

Someone who calls themself a Psychologist needs to have a certain standard of training. This is because unlike therapist or counsellor, Psychologist is a legally protected title (there are recent examples of people claiming to be Psychologists, who actually weren’t, and were prosecuted and fined – click for an example).

To be called a Psychologist (in full, a Psychologist with General Registration), you need to have completed an APAC accredited study sequence – which involves a combined 6 years of full time University study and on the job training. Usually, the last 2 years of this 6 years of education and training people are called Provisional Psychologists – they can use this title and see clients, however they cannot practise without supervision, and there are restrictions on what sort of referrals Provisional Psychologists can accept.

Clinical Psychologist

Therapist and client sitting across from each other, talking.

To legally call yourself a Clinical Psychologist, you need a minimum of 8 full time years of combined education and training. During years 6 through to 8 – the Masters of Clinical Psychology or equivalent – you are able to use the term Psychologist, and you are also able to call yourself a Clinical Psychologist Registrar.

But why would someone want to do 2 years of extra training, if they are already Psychologists? Well, Clinical Psychologists may have different job opportunities, and they are often paid more money (although this is not strictly true, all the time).

Psychologists with other endorsements

To have an endorsement in the psychology field, you need to go through the Registrar process (years 6 – 8 of training and education – as above). And a clinical psychology endorsement is not the only option. In addition to clinical psychology, endorsements include: clinical neuropsychology, community psychology, counselling psychology, educational and developmental psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, organisational psychology and sport and exercise psychology.

Without going through the proper process, you cannot call yourself an Organisational Psychologist, or a Sport and Exercise Psychologist, for example.

I forgot something – Doctor level titles for Psychologists

Woman sitting at her desk, writing study notes.

Yes, if you do extra full time study at University level (usually more years of research) you may be able to call yourself a Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Doctor of Organisational Psychology, whatever is appropriate for your endorsement!

However, please note, some people might be Psychologists, and calling themselves “Doctor” – however their Doctorate studies may be in something non related to Psychology. For example, I am a Psychologist with General Registration and if I do a PhD in Creative Writing now, when I graduate I can call myself “Doctor”. However I must be clear about what my Doctorate level studies are in – I am not able to mislead people to believe that I am a Doctor of Clinical Psychology, and have an endorsement. When I do not.

The intricacies of the different Psychology titles may be confusing – however if you want to take something away from this blog it is that all Psychologists can call themselves therapists, but not all therapists can call themselves Psychologists. Another take away if that you can always check the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA)’s Psychology Board website and use their lookup a practitioner tool. It will have all the information you need – including when the person was first registered, if they have any endorsements, and if they have any restrictions on their practise.

Mental health social worker looks at a drawing, sitting opposite a little girl and her mother.

I could not forget my Mental Health Social Worker colleagues! Firstly, to be accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), Mental Health Social Workers need to have asocial work qualification from an Australian University or approved overseas equivalent, along with 2 years of full time equivalent experience in a mental health setting within the last 5 years, as well as other requirements such as supervision and case studies. However, according to AASW National President – Linda Ford the term “social worker” is actually not a legally protected title! So if you want to make sure you are being treated by someone appropriately qualified, one of the ways you can do this is to use the AASW tool to find a social worker.

Now that I know what types of therapists there are, how can I see one?

There are so many ways! You can use the look up tools already in this blog, you can google “psychologists near me” or “telehealth therapy” and you can ask your doctor or someone you trust for a recommendation. There are many ways to link in with a therapist, and now you might be a bit more confident to choose someone who is qualified to help you!

I need mental health support now.

Blackboard with work SUPPORT written on it with white chalk.

If you need mental health support now you are able to access these services:

Lifeline, call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online if in crisis.

And for people up to 25 years old, you have the option to access the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 and via chat.

And for a comprehensive list of mental health services click here.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you found this article interesting and helpful 🖤 If so, and if you are a Psychologist, click here to subscribe for more free content, resources and exclusive offers!