Counsellor, Psychologist or Psychiatrist?

There are many type of therapies out there for individuals suffering from emotional difficulties. So how to choose the right one for you?

Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychologists will have a degree in psychology and a further degree in Clinical Psychology. Clinical Psychology is based on scientific research, looking at the relationships between behaviour, emotions and thoughts, with regard to helping people overcome emotional problems.  Therapy is usually fairly short term and is mostly aimed towards helping people achieve specific goals, such as overcoming anxiety.  Many Clinical Psychologists use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help people overcome their difficulties.  Clinical Psychology may not be appropriate in every situation but can produce lasting changes across many different types of problems.

Counselling

Counselling tends to be a passive process and often the counsellor will simply listen and encourage the individual to talk through their problems. It does not tend to involve long lasting changes in thinking or behaviour, and at present there is no regulatory body for this profession. Counselling is probably most helpful to those who lack someone to talk through their problems with.

Psychiatry

Psychiatrists tend to look at emotional problems from a mostly medical perspective, and try to treat chemical changes in the brain that may lead to certain emotions / behaviours. Often the treatment offered will involve medication, and may not address the underlying issues. Psychiatry is very helpful in serious cases of mental illness, such as schizophrenia.

Other types of alternative therapy include Psychoanalytical and Hypnotherapy.

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