What is the Difference Between Psychologist and Counsellor

The main difference between psychologist and counsellor is that psychologists tend to work more with people with complex mental illnesses when compared to counsellors.

Psychologists and counsellors are two professionals working with mental health. Both help people to come to terms with their problems and deal with day-to-day life. Although these two words are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between a psychologist and a counsellor.

Key Areas Covered

1. Who is a Psychologist 
     – Definition, Work
2. Who is a Counsellor
     – Definition, Work
3. What is the Difference Between Psychologist and Counsellor
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Psychologist, Counsellor

Who is a Psychologist

A psychologist is someone who specializes in the study of mind and behaviour, and in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Psychologists study mental processes as well as human behaviour by observing, interpreting, and analyzing how people relate to others and the environment. The term psychologist is a broad one and can apply to those who use psychological knowledge and research to deal with mental illnesses, or to those who work as social scientists and conduct psychological research and teach at educational institutes. In fact, there are various types of psychologists as applied psychologists, research psychologists, and mental health psychologists.

Generally, when compared to counsellors, psychologists work more with people suffering from complex mental conditions like personality disorders and depressive disorders. Moreover, it’s also important to note that psychologists are not the same as psychiatrists. To become a psychologist, you have to have a doctoral degree in psychology but to become a psychiatrist, you have to have a degree in medicine.

Who is a Counsellor

A counsellor is someone who is trained to give guidance on personal or psychological problems. Counselling generally deals with immediate and practical issues like processing anger or grief, developing interpersonal or communication skills, or helping to make personal or professional decisions. Moreover, counsellors usually don’t deal with complex mental conditions or disorders, like psychologists.

Counsellors can help clients to learn how to manage conflicts in their lives and resolve their problems. Moreover, counsellors focus on clients’ issues and try to understand how clients’ thought, feelings, and behaviour patterns can cause problems in their daily lives. In general, counsellors work in fields like drug and alcohol rehabilitation, marriage and family counselling, or career and guidance fields. They may work in mental health clinics, youth welfare services, child and aged centres, or marriage guidance services. Furthermore, it’s possible to carry out counselling individually or as a couple or group sessions; this depends on the client’s needs and what he or she feels comfortable with. In addition, counselling is short-term.

Difference Between Psychologist and Counsellor

Definition

A psychologist is someone who specializes in the study of mind and behaviour, and in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders while a counsellor is someone who is trained to give guidance on personal or psychological problems.

Area

Psychologists study mental processes as well as human behaviour and help in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Counsellors, on the other hand, typically deals with immediate and practical issues like processing anger or grief, developing interpersonal or communication skills, or helping to make personal or professional decisions

Education

In most countries, a counsellor may not be as educated as a psychologist.

Work

Psychologists may work in clinical psychotherapy, in clinical research, human resource management, marketing and as behavioural scientists, while counsellors work in fields like drug and alcohol rehabilitation, marriage and family counselling, or career and guidance fields.

Conclusion

The main difference between psychologist and counsellor is that psychologists tend to work with people with complex mental illnesses when compared to counsellors. In most countries, a counsellor may not be as educated as a psychologist.

Reference:

1. Cherry, Kendra. “Psychologist Overview and Career Information.” Verywell Mind, 7 Apr. 2020, Available here.
2. “What Is Counselling?” SkillsYouNeed, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “1389919” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Counseling, stress, angry, mental health, depression, frustration, psychotherapy, therapy, human, psychology, psychiatry” (CC0) via Pikist