Psychology and psychotherapy differ in regard to the training of practitioners, their modes of treatment and how they make sense of what a mind is.

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Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. A psychologist undergoes three years of undergraduate training and then a year of honors to become a counseling psychologist, or three more years to complete a doctorate and to become a clinical psychologist. Following the discipline of science, psychology training focuses on learning to read and create research, from which insights about treatment and minds are gathered. In turn, they are generally taught evidence-based, manualized treatments which are shown to have positive outcomes. This traditionally includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other models like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Each psychology training will differ slightly in the types of treatments taught, whilst many psychologists also do professional development following their degree to enhance their clinical practice.

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Psychotherapy is a more diverse field which is difficult to define. Psychotherapy as a term generally refers to the use of talk therapy itself to alleviate psychological distress (rather than medication, skills or tools). The relationship itself between a psychotherapist and a client is a primary vehicle for reflection and change within therapy. Psychotherapy is a diverse field because in Australia, there is no unified training pathway and therefore there are many different psychotherapy schools. Psychotherapy training institutes in Australia include Gestalt Therapy, ACEP, The Ikon Institute and the psychoanalytic society. Each of these schools has a unique way of supporting people to experience change, but a hallmark across these schools is an experiential approach to therapy which includes reflecting on emotions, the therapeutic relationship and the body.

 

Whilst it is possible to differentiate psychology and psychology through some foundational principles, the differences across psychology and psychotherapy programs means that they may be harder to clearly distinguish in practice. A psychologist for instance might be trained in the same models as a psychotherapist, such as psychodynamic therapy, and a psychotherapist may be trained in and use elements of CBT.

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Getting a clear picture of the exact models that your psychologist or psychotherapist primarily uses, is the best way to become informed about what you can expect in therapy with them. At The Spring Clinic, our team is multidisciplinary and our practitioners have all trained in multiple modalities. So whether you are looking for a traditional psychologist or psychotherapist, or anything in between, we can help you find the best fit. We believe that all forms of therapy are useful within their own right and that mental health support should ideally be matched to a particular person's personality, needs and goals. 

 

You can either look through our psychologist, counsellors or psychotherapist profiles here or book a free discovery call to ask any questions you have directly to a member of our team who can help you find your ideal therapist.

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