What’s the Difference Between a Psychologist, a Clinical Psychologist, a Psychotherapist, and a Counsellor?

If you’re exploring therapy, you’ve likely come across a confusing mix of titles for different types of therapists — counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist, clinical psychologist. They all offer mental health support, but there are key differences in training, registration, fees, and what kind of support they provide.

This guide breaks it down clearly, so you can make a confident decision about the kind of professional who’s right for your needs — whether you’re going through a tough patch, dealing with long-term challenges, or just feeling like your life has become more complicated than you can carry alone.

Why Does Registration Matter?

In Australia, not all mental health professionals are regulated in the same way.

• Psychologists and clinical psychologists are registered under AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency). This means they must meet strict education, ethical, and competency standards, complete ongoing professional development, and are held accountable by a national board.

  
  

• Counsellors and psychotherapists are not AHPRA-regulated, but many are members of respected professional bodies like PACFA or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), which offer voluntary registration and set minimum training and ethical guidelines.

  
  

Why this matters to you: A professional working within a regulatory framework offers a level of oversight, accountability, and quality assurance. If you’re seeking therapy for more serious or complex issues — or want Medicare rebates — it’s important to choose someone with the appropriate registration.

How Does a Therapist’s Education Help You?

Put simply: the more complex your needs, the more training your therapist should have.

• A counsellor may have 1–2 years of training and be well-equipped to support everyday challenges.

• A psychologist or clinical psychologist has 6–8+ years of university education, plus supervised clinical practice.

  
  

More education and training allow a therapist to:

• Accurately assess and diagnose mental health conditions

• Understand the interactions between your history, body, mind, and behaviour

• Apply evidence-based therapies to complex presentations like trauma, eating disorders, chronic pain, and co-occurring life stressors

If your life feels "complicated" — even if you wouldn’t say you have a mental illness — it’s worth seeing a practitioner with more training. Many people live with the cumulative weight of stress, trauma, grief, family patterns, work pressure, or chronic health conditions that require more nuanced care.

The Four Types of Mental Health Professionals in Australia

1. Counsellor

• Training: Varies widely - look for someone with a Diploma to Master’s level qualification

• Regulation: No registration body but may choose to be included in a professional association (usually ACA or PACFA)

• What They Do: Counsellors help with relationship issues, grief, stress, parenting challenges, or work pressure. Support is generally shorter-term and focused on helping you manage life better.

• Best for: Specific challenges, talking things through, or getting tools to cope with a current situation.

• Typical fees in Brisbane*: $150–$230 per session

• Rebates: No Medicare rebate, but some offer private health insurance rebates

2. Psychotherapist

• Training: No specific requirement but often has postgraduate qualifications (Graduate Diploma or Master’s)

• Regulation: No registration body but may choose to be included in a professional association (PACFA or ARCAP)

• What They Do: Works with emotional and relational patterns. Therapy is typically middle to longer-term and exploratory, focusing on understanding and transforming how you relate to yourself and others.

• Best for: Long-standing emotional pain, identity issues, or people feeling "stuck".

• Typical fees in Brisbane*: $150–$230 per session

• Rebates: No Medicare rebate, some private health coverage may be possible

3. Psychologist

• Training: Minimum of 6 years (Bachelor + Postgrad + Supervised Practice)

• Regulation: Mandatory registration with AHPRA

• What They Do: Uses structured, evidence-based therapies (e.g. CBT, ACT, schema therapy) to treat a wide range of mental health concerns. Can assess and diagnose conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress disorders.

• Best for: People experiencing mental health symptoms and seeking a structured approach to understanding and managing them.

• Typical fees in Brisbane*: $220–$260 per session

• Rebates: $98.95 Medicare rebate with a Mental Health Care Plan (up to 10 sessions per year); private health may be possible for non-Medicare sessions.

4. Clinical Psychologist

• Training: 8 years minimum (Bachelor + Honours/4th year + Master or Doctorate + Supervised Clinical Practice in a 1-2 year Registrar program)

• Regulation: Mandatory AHPRA registration with endorsement in clinical psychology

• What They Do: Specialises in the assessment and treatment of complex mental health presentations. They can provide formal diagnoses, conduct psychological testing, and work with a broader and deeper range of concerns.

Clinical psychologists often the best fit for people whose lives and personal struggles feel complicated — where the stress, pain, or pressure has built up over time.

They are trained to work with both clinical issues like:

• Complex/historical trauma

• PTSD

• Eating disorders

• Personality disorders

• Long-term depression or anxiety

• ADHD, Autism, & other assessments

... and complex life stressors like:

• Chronic health problems

• Ongoing grief

• Caregiving burnout

• Life adjustment difficulties

• Executive burnout or role conflict

• Best for: People with multiple overlapping stressors or those who’ve tried other therapies and want specialist support. Also appropriate if your life simply feels like “a lot” and you want help sorting through it.

• Typical fees in Brisbane*: $270–$315+ per session

• Rebates: $145.25 Medicare rebate with a GP referral; private health may be possible for non-Medicare sessions.

So Who Should You See?

Put simply, you should see the person who you feel you'd best connect with and trust.

You might see a…	If you…
Clinical Psychologist	Are dealing with complex emotional or health challenges, overlapping issues, significant trauma, or want highly specialised assessment and treatment for deeper issues. Also appropriate if your life feels like “a lot” and you want support making sense of it all.
Psychologist	Seek evidence-based treatment and in-depth understanding of treatment approaches for symptoms like anxiety, depression, panic, trauma, OCD, or other mood disorders — with a Medicare rebate.
Counsellor	Need support with grief, relationship issues, stress, parenting, or life transitions. Suitable for shorter-term support.
Psychotherapist	Want to explore emotional patterns and unresolved issues.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to figure it all out before you start — even a first conversation with a professional can help you decide the right fit. Remember, whichever therapist you choose, a key component is finding someone who you think you can work with. Therapists are all different - they are just people after all - so if you don't "click" with the first one you try, find another who better suits you.

If you’re in Brisbane, you’ll find a wide variety of experienced, compassionate professionals across all four roles. Some practices (like ours) offer team-based support, so you can be matched with the right kind of therapist for your needs — whether that’s practical strategies, emotional depth work, or structured clinical treatment.

Find the right therapist for you

Looking for support that matches your needs?We’d be happy to talk with you about what kind of support might suit you best. Reach out via our request page, email, or call 3137 1553 to speak with one of our team members today.

*Disclaimer on the "typical fees" noted in this blog: the fee range was determined through a non-exhaustive desktop review of websites across the Brisbane area as of June 2025 (Medicare rebates as of July 2025) and may not reflect actual fees or all practices at the time of reading. Readers are advised to undertake their own comparisons. Along with considering affordability, a key component of choosing any therapist should be the client's "fit" with that individual - find someone you connect with and trust.