Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists – What’s the Difference?

Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists all help individuals and couples overcome their problems and live live with greater meaning and purpose. What’s the distinction between them? Briefly:

Psychologists study behaviour and work wtih people to modify it where it no longer serves them or is seen to be dysfunctional. When psychologists talk about ‘behaviour’ it doesn’t just mean the behaviour you observer – feelings, thoughts and perceptions are also behaviours.

Psychiatrists are also registered medical doctors who have specialised in mental illness and well-being. They study psychopharmacology i.e. use of drugs in modifying behaviour and brain chemistry. They also talk to their client and help them change their outlooks and behaviour but invariably use medication within their treatment.

Psychotherapists form relationships with their clients over an extended period to explore repeating patterns that no longer serve people – i.e. attracting bad relationships, always losing a job or simply not liking themselves or them simply investing in personal development to help them answer the question ‘Who am I and what do I want my life to be about?’ They look at integrating conscious and unconscious elements of the individual so they becomes the choosers of their actions rather than feeling at their whim.

What happens in a counselling session?

‘What happens in a counselling session?’  This is a major question facing anyone considering counselling.  Many people think that the psychologist or counsellor will have superior knowledge or ability to advise them  on how to live their life.  Others think that advice or direction will be offered which is preferable and superior to what they think.

The reality is that counsellors are trained to skillfully facilitate people to become more aware of what is happening in their lives, to see how they are creating their experiences, to evaluate the options they face and to anticipate the consequences of their actions.  It is through their actual relationship, that the counsellor guides the client to experience doing things differently and test out things that seem threatening or difficult to face with other people.  Skills and the ability to handle the anxiety of change can be tested out in counselling sessions and used with greater confidence with others in everyday life.

Confidentiality in a Counselling Session

Confidentiality in a counselling session is an important requirement for any client coming to see a psychologist or counsellor.  Psychologists and counsellors are bound by professional ethics against which the client’s story, their identity and any other information is protected.  A client understandably needs to know that their information and disclosures will be confidential, particularly when their secrets, if known outside of their family or close circle, would have a detrimental effect on themselves or others.

There are certain conditions under which confidentiality would be broken.  It relates to information about terrorist activity, abuse of minors, criminal activity and planned injury to others.  It also relates to injury to the client.  If the psychologist believes that their client is, for example, is at  serious risk of suicide, they have a duty of care (and I believe ethical requirement as a human being) to provide safety for that client.

A good psychologist will explain all this to you at the first session when you are agreeing the terms under which you will work – if they don’t, do ask, as it is important that you feel assured of the parameters within which the counselling sessions will work for you.