Mental health: Finding the right therapist for you

Reaching out for mental health support can feel overwhelming.

Do you need a psychologist, psychiatrist, counsellor, or someone else? Then there are wait times, costs and, most importantly, finding someone you genuinely connect with.

Because while qualifications and experience matter, the relationship you build with your therapist often makes the biggest difference.

Understanding the different types of therapists and the issues they can best address makes it easier to narrow down your options and find a therapist who is the right fit for you.

A mental health therapist is a trained professional who supports individuals, couples, families or groups to improve and manage their mental wellbeing.

No matter their role, all mental health professionals should be licensed or registered with the right governing body. This ensures they follow a code of ethics and professional standards that protect both you and them.

“There's a range of professions that provide mental healthcare,” says Dr Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society. “They differ in formal qualifications and educational backgrounds, as well as their scope of practice, including their capacity to diagnose mental illness and prescribe medications.”

The type of therapist you choose, or who your GP recommends, will depend on your needs, your preferred style of therapy, and practical things like cost and availability.

But just as important is whether you feel comfortable opening up to them. If you’re unsure where to start, your GP can walk you through the options and help point you towards someone who might be the right fit.

This is the most common type of mental health practitioner accessed in Australia.

“Psychologists are highly trained and qualified professionals skilled in helping people with a range of mental health and wellbeing concerns,” says Dr Burgess. “Psychologists are equipped with the relevant training to assess and diagnose people experiencing mental health issues.

“Psychologists are also a regulated health profession, requiring registration with the Psychology Board of Australia, which sets the registration standards that practitioners must meet in order to register and to practise.”

They work in private and public practice and may use a range of therapies with clients and patients.

If you are experiencing a mental health problem your GP may refer you to see a psychologist. A psychologist is not a medical doctor and cannot prescribe medication such as antidepressants.

“Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed specialist training and can prescribe medication for the treatment of mental health conditions,” says Dr Burgess.

Your GP or another medical doctor may refer you to see a psychiatrist if therapy is not successful and your mental health needs require specific medication best prescribed by a specialist.

Social workers, or accredited mental health social workers, are trained and educated to provide mental health support to individuals and families.

They can work to refer people to resources, advocate for vulnerable people (such as children and older people) and help to coordinate care management.

Social workers can help with issues surrounding family violence, homelessness, poverty and financial crisis.

You GP can help you connect with a social worker, or you can search the Australian Association of Social Workers directory. Social workers also work in hospitals and some private and public mental health facilities.

A registered counsellor or psychotherapist is a trained mental health professional who can help people better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours through different types of talking therapy.

The term ‘counsellor’, like life coach or lifestyle coach, is not a regulated or protected profession.

It’s important to see a registered counsellor who practices under the code of ethics dictated by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

These professional bodies accredit properly educated and trained professionals who have completed the qualifications required to provide talking therapy, and both have searchable online directories.

No matter what type of therapist you see, finding the right fit is essential to the therapy's success.

“There's a strong research base indicating that a positive therapeutic relationship with your psychologist can play a very important role in how effective your sessions are,” says Dr Burgess. “A positive therapeutic relationship is one where you and your psychologist work together to establish your treatment goals, you are able to provide regular feedback on how you feel your sessions are going, and you feel genuine warmth and empathy from your psychologist.”

Don’t be scared to go back to your GP and ask for a different referral if you don’t feel comfortable with your first therapist. Your therapist will not be hurt or upset that you want to see someone else as they know it's more important that you find the right person.

“Every psychologist has different therapeutic styles and individual personality, so if your first isn’t a match for you, trying a new psychologist can be helpful.”

Ask your GP for advice and guidance on the right kind of therapist for you.

If you want to find your own therapist:

The Australian Psychological Society has an online directory that can help you find a local psychologist.

ACA and PACFA are the professional bodies for Australian counsellors. Both have searchable databases with registered, educated, trained counsellors listed.