A good therapist/client relationship is one where you as the client feel that you are safe.  A feeling of safety is imperative if you are going to be able to achieve your goals in therapy because you must believe, that no matter what you bring to the counselling session, your therapist is going to be non-judgemental, caring and actively listening, to gain a deep understanding of you and your needs.  That does not mean however, that you won’t find the relationship at times difficult or anxiety provoking, as with change, come challenges.  But as long as you know your therapist is there to meet your needs first and foremost, then you will feel supported through these challenges.

As a counsellor I have a professional duty of care to assess risk and if I feel that you may be at risk of harm to yourself or others, I may need to include others to support your needs. This would always be done in consultation with you

Counselling is a confidential process that involves sharing sensitive, personal and private information that may at times be distressing.  Everything we discuss in our sessions together is confidential except:

1. for the purposes of supervision*
2. where, in my opinion, you may be at risk of harm to yourself, or to others.

If you’re having difficulty deciding whether to see a counsellor or psychologist, hopefully this can make it a bit easier for you.

A psychologist tends to specialise in a key area such as sports psychology, organisational psychology, mental disorders etc.  For example they may treat certain disorders such as ADHD,  mood disorders, personality disorders or they may be engaged as school counsellors or to motivate people in business and elite sport.  If you have been given a mental health plan by your GP then they will have referred you to a psychologist who specialises in a relevant area that meets your needs.  If you have a mental health plan you will get a rebate back on Medicare, however the cost of a psychologist is commonly twice as much as a counsellor.

A counsellor is generally someone who has been trained in ‘talk therapy’.  The counselling profession is not regulated in the same way psychology is.  However there are professional bodies such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).  So if you are looking for a fully qualified counsellor then it is a good idea to check that they are registered with one of the above associations.

A counsellor will essentially be trained to listen and help with any broad presenting issues.  They tend to listen in a deep way that can help you make decisions to lead the life you want.  They may also have specialist postgraduate training in particular areas such as depression, anxiety, different therapy modalities, and some are more interested in a long term approach with clients commonly referred to in Australia as psychotherapy (although anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist).

A counsellor is not registered with Medicare, and therefore cannot offer rebates or bulk billing like a Psychologist can.  However, generally a counsellor may charge anywhere between $80 and $150 per session, whereas a psychologist will charge a lot more.