Psychologist vs Clinical Psychologist — What’s the difference?
Updated: 14th April 2923
Psychologist Vs Clinical Psychologist - Is there a difference in 2023?
What is a Psychologist?
In Australia there are many different pathways to becoming a registered psychologist. All Psychologists are registered with the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Some Psychologists complete 6 or more years of university training at the Masters, Doctoral or PhD level to achieve their full registration. Some Psychologists complete 5 years of university training and then a further 1 year of practical internship, which comprises of intensive supervision and training so as to meet all the core competencies for full registration. And some Psychologists complete 4 years of university training and a further 2 years of a practical internship, comprising of intensive supervision and training so as to meet all the core competencies for full registration.
All Psychologists are trained in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a range of psychological difficulties (i.e., depression, anxiety).
What is a Provisional Psychologist?
A Provisional Psychologist has completed a minimum of 4 years of university study in Psychology, and is then in the process of completing 2 years of clinical experience ('internship'), or further study & clinical experience so as to have the necessary 6 years to achieve general registration as a psychologist.
A provisional psychologist may be completing 2 years of a practical internship which comprises of intensive supervision and training so as to meet all the core competencies for full registration (4+2 registration pathway). They may also be completing a 5th year of university study and a one year internship that provides clinical experience to gain the necessary competencies for general registration as a psychologist (5+1 registration pathway). They may also be completing a further 2 or 3 years of university study through a Masters or Doctorate or PhD degree that meets their knowledge and clinical experience requirements for full registration at the end of their studies, and following completion of a further 1-2 years will then lead to an ‘endorsement’ in a specific area of psychology (such as Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Organisational Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Sports and Exercise Psychology).
There are in total 8 different 'endorsements' that a Psychologist may obtain. Please find a link to an Australian Psychological Society article related to all 8 areas of endorsement if you would like to find out more information about each: https://psychology.org.au/psychology/about-psychology/types-of-psychologists
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
One of the eight endorsements that a Psychologist may obtain is in Clinical Psychology.
Clinical Psychologists are Psychologists who have been endorsed as having specific skills in clinical psychology. They complete a minimum of 6 years university training at the Masters, Doctoral or PhD level in clinical psychology. Following this, they complete a further 1 or 2 years of clinical experience, supervision and training in the area of clinical psychology. During these additional years of practical training while employed, these psychologists are referred to as Clinical Psychology Registrars. Once this extra training is complete, these Psychologists are able to use the title, Clinical Psychologist.
They are also trained in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a range of psychological difficulties (i.e., depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma & personality disorders).
What is a Clinical Psychology Registrar?
A Clinical Psychology Registrar is a registered psychologist who has completed 6 years of university study, which includes a Masters or Doctorate or PhD in Clinical Psychology. During the ‘registrar’ period an additional 1-2 years of clinical experience is gained to then achieve the Clinical Psychology endorsement with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) which then allows someone to use the title Clinical Psychologist.
As mentioned earlier, alongside Clinical Psychologists, there are also Community Psychologists, Educational and Developmental Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, Forensic Psychologists, Organisational Psychologists, Neuropsychologists, Sports and Exercise Psychologists, and Health Psychologists. Just like Clinical Psychologists, these Psychologists are endorsed as having specific skills in their area of psychology training. They first completed a minimum of 6 years university training at the Masters, Doctoral or PhD level in their area of psychology. Following this, they completed a further 1 or 2 years of clinical experience, supervision and training. During these additional years of practical training while employed, these psychologists are referred to as Registrars (e.g. Counselling Psychologist Registrar - and once this extra training is complete, these Psychologists are able to use the title, e.g. Counselling Psychologist).
Where any psychologist has completed doctorate degree or PhD, they are often referred to as “doctor” or Dr. However, they do not have a medical degree and cannot prescribe medication.
Is a Clinical Psychologist better than a Psychologist?
Sometimes people ask whether seeing a Clinical Psychologist is better than seeing a Psychologist —
At the end of the day, what matters is whether we get to our destination.
At our practice we have Clinical, Registered & Provisional Psychologists on our team, and we don't necessarily think any one profession is better than another, however, our clinicians will all have differing levels of experience with certain diagnoses and difficulties, and also have different areas of interest and passion, so this is what usually determines which clinician we may feel offers the best support for our clients.
An analogy related to this worth considering is we all drive different cars and take different modes of transport. Some people are convinced that some modes of transport, or some models of cars are the best, and they only want to drive/ride that option. Other people recognise that at different times different things may be important factors for us when choosing which car we buy, or whether we use public transport, and all of these choices are very valid. At the end of the day, what matters is whether we get to our destination.
Ok, so…what’s a Therapist then?
Broadly speaking a Therapist is an American term for a Psychologist. In Australia, however, we may refer to the act of going to talk to someone to support out mental wellbeing as being in therapy, and therefore a therapist could be anyone who supports your mental health wellbeing (for example, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Mental Health Social Worker, Art Therapist).
Infographic: Australian Mental Health Professions explained 2023
Other Mental Health Professions which commonly get confused with Psychology
Psychiatrist
What is the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists have obtained a general medical degree before going on to complete further specialised study in the area of mental health/Psychiatry - therefore they are a medical doctor. As a result, they can prescribe medication, provide assessment and diagnosis of a range of mental health disorders, and may provide psychological treatment and psychotherapy also. Psychiatrists are also integral to supporting mental health wellbeing in hospital settings, and will be in charge of treatment in public and private mental health hospitals.
They may also be a part of someone's 'team' care approach, so as to complement and support all the various aspects of our mental and emotional wellbeing.
The 3 main differences between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist:
Psychiatrists are medical doctors, psychologists are not.
Psychiatrists prescribe medication, psychologists can't.
Psychiatrists diagnose illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies for complex and serious mental illness. Psychologists focus on providing psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients.
Psychotherapist
What is the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychotherapist?
Psychotherapy is an umbrella term for a number of different mental health practitioners, so the answer to this question depends on the specific credentials of the psychotherapist. The use of the title Psychotherapist and Counsellor are not legally regulated titles in Australia, so therefore, a Psychologist can also be a Psychotherapist, depending in the type of therapeutic approach they predominantly use with their clients (such as psychodynamic psychotherapy), however, someone who has completed a short course of study may also use the title psychotherapist. When looking at someone’s credentials you may also notice that someone has completed a bachelors degree and then a Masters of Psychotherapy for example, so as to give them more specific skills to help address more complex difficulties. Typically psychotherapists would focus on helping you explore past and early childhood experiences so as to understand patterns which have been formed in relation to our sense of self and how we see ourselves, and also how we therefore approach our relationships and life choices.
Counsellor
What is the difference between a Psychologist and a Counsellor?
A Counsellor is someone who uses counselling skills to help you through some of the difficulties you may be experiencing. Whilst a psychologist does use counselling skills, and there is also a Masters of Counselling Psychology that can be completed, most times the difference between a psychologist and a counsellor will be the years of study at university and the skills that both are competent in (psychologists have specific training in assessment across all the mental health disorders and therefore can diagnose these, whereas a counsellor cannot).
Another significant difference is that Psychology is a highly regulated profession, meaning that the pathway to be able to use the title Psychologist is limited to the options as outlined previously (minimum number of years of university study followed by clinical experience meeting competencies in set areas of knowledge and skill), and then once finished you have to apply for registration as a psychologist with AHPRA, and each year need to complete training and supervision hours so as to maintain your annual registration requirements.
Counsellors may have also completed years of study and clinical experience, however, the study and practice options are not regulated by a national/state body, and then use of the term counsellor is a not a restricted title, meaning there can be a great range in who may use this title.
Counsellors can be professionally regulated by their accrediting associations, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), and so it may be helpful to notice if someone is a member of one of these associations.
Social Worker
What is the difference between a Psychologist and an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?
Social Workers have completed a Bachelor of Social Work or a Masters in Social Work, and can work in wide array of settings including Mental Health. When they have worked in a Mental Health setting for a period of time they may apply to be credentialed as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) with The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), which acknowledges that they have been trained in evidence-based psychological treatment strategies and may diagnose and provide services which receive a medicare rebate.
Although AMHSW are not regulated by the same body as Psychologists and Psychiatrists, the AASW does have a stringent code of ethics that AMHSW need to adhere to and also have a very robust complaints process related to this. The AASW has campaigned for 50 years towards national registration with AHPRA (similar to Psychologists and Psychiatrists), and in South Australia state registration has just been legislated.
Mental Health Coach
A mental health coach and life coach, may have completed some study through a private college or university (for example a bachelors degree and then further study in a diploma or masters of coaching psychology). Life coaches will typically help you focus on tangible goals related to your here and now and help you work towards your future goals, and won’t explore past experiences, core beliefs, or more complex psychological difficulties. They also cannot assess and diagnose a mental health difficulty.
Final Thoughts
We are all amazing ...🙏 🥰👊🏼
Different people benefit from different levels of support - essentially getting some support will in most cases be better than no support!
All of the aforementioned professionals may be of great help in your emotional and mental health/wellbeing journey. However, it is also OK to have a preference for certain levels of training or experience when choosing the right support for you, and you may also find as we have referenced earlier that asking about someone's specific experience to your particular area/s of need may be a way to determine which professional/s will be the right fit for you.
— Anna
