What's the difference between a psychotherapist, psychologist and psychiatrist?

When deciding to work with any type of practitioner it is vital to check their qualifications and the level of training they have received.

Psychotherapist

Psychotherapists are specifically trained individuals who have tertiary (undergraduate or post graduate) qualifications in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Most courses are two to three years in length and many, including Jansen Newman courses, are accredited by the Higher Education Act ensuring quality and rigorous training standards.

A psychotherapist is trained in an experiential way working with people in a counselling context from day one where inter-personal relationships are the key to practitioner training and development. Alongside working therapeutically with clients trainees learn not just about the psychology of human beings but are actively using theory whilst practising counselling with clients and other course members. As part of the post graduate diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling at JNI trainees had to complete a minimum of 50 hours face to face counselling. Training to be a psychotherapist is very hands on and practical in approach and often trainees are older and mature coming from backgrounds in human resources, teaching, social work and other people professions. The fact that trainees have already 'lived a bit' and often worked with people and undergone therapy themselves (a core component at Jansen Newman) allows for a closer therapeutic relationship to be established between client and therapist. All psychotherapy studies show that the quality of the relationship between client and therapist is the main determinant as to the relative success of the counselling process.

Unfortunately the Australian Government has not seen fit to allow Psychotherapists to come under the Allied Health banner where other practitioners like osteopaths, massage therapists and other health practitioners can offer clients a medicare rebate. The Australian Counselling Association is working very hard on behalf of its members to allow psychotherapy and counselling to become under the Allied Health scheme. It seems ironic to be trained specifically as a psychotherapist and then denied the same rights as a psychologist who may not have been trained to work with clients from day one.

Psychologist

A psychologist or clinical psychologist is a tertiary trained individual who may have completed a psychology degree or may have majored in psychology as part of another degree. To become a registered psychologist trainees need to complete at least three years of study and complete an intern placement which may not always involve counselling face to face with people. Psychologists are trained in the theory of psychology of human development and have to undertake research studies as part of their degree course. The approach is more scientific and less hands on than for a psychotherapist who is trained to put theory into practice from day one.

Registered psychologists are able to offer clients a medicare rebate for the counselling sessions but there are usually limits put in place as to the number of sessions available and the client must have a doctor's referral to access their services. Psychologists may charge a fee of around $180 for a session and the client will usually receive approximately half of the cost back from medicare thus making the session as expensive as seeing a psychotherapist who will charge around $90 anyway.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who is usually involved with assessment and the ongoing treatment of clients who have more severe mental health issues and difficulties. As doctors they are able to medicate clients and may practice other methods of working with clients including counselling. They use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Vol 4 to ascertain the type of mental health disorder experienced by the client. Often psychiatrists work out of a hospital setting although many are in private practice too.