What each profession does
Psychologists, Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Creative Arts Therapists and Psychiatrists can all support mental wellbeing but they differ in their training, expertise and the kinds of services they provide.
Understanding these differences can help you make a more informed choice. If you’re unsure where to start, our matching process can recommend practitioners based on your needs, regardless of profession.
Registered Psychologist
Registered psychologists are experts in understanding how people think, feel, learn, and behave. They use comprehensive psychological assessment, formulation, diagnosis, and evidence-based therapy to help people with a wide range of mental health, emotional, behavioural, learning, and wellbeing concerns. Psychologists may work with individuals, families, organisations, or communities, helping people understand the factors contributing to their difficulties and supporting meaningful, lasting change. The profession includes a number of scopes of practice, such as Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, and General Psychology, each with its own area of specialist expertise.
Registered by New Zealand Psychologists Board
Registered Psychiatrist
Registered psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed specialist training in mental health. They assess, diagnose, and treat mental illnesses, including more complex or severe conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, eating disorders, and addiction. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and may also provide psychological and other therapeutic treatments as part of a broader treatment plan. They often work with people whose difficulties require specialist medical expertise or medication management.
Registered by Medical Council of New Zealand
Counsellor
Counsellors provide a safe, confidential, and supportive environment where people can explore personal, emotional, relationship, and life challenges. They help clients better understand their experiences, develop coping skills, build resilience, and work towards positive change. Counsellors commonly support people with stress, grief, relationship difficulties, workplace pressures, self-esteem concerns, life transitions, and other everyday mental wellbeing challenges.
Registered by New Zealand Association of Counsellors
Registered Psychotherapist
Registered psychotherapists help people understand and change deeper emotional, psychological, and relationship patterns that may be affecting their wellbeing. A key aspect of psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship between the client and therapist, which is used to support personal growth, emotional healing, and psychological change. Psychotherapists work with a wide range of concerns, including trauma, relationship difficulties, attachment issues, mental health concerns, and long-standing emotional patterns.
Registered by Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand
Creative Arts Therapist
Creative arts therapists use creative processes such as art, music, drama, dance and movement, and play as the main way of supporting people's emotional and psychological wellbeing. Rather than relying on words alone, clients express and explore their experiences through making and creating, with the therapist guiding the process and helping them make sense of what emerges. This can suit people who find it hard to put feelings into words, including children and young people, and people working through trauma, grief, stress, or major life changes.
Registered by Australia, New Zealand, and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association
Comparison of mental health professions in New Zealand
| Profession | Governing body | Can prescribe medication? | When you might choose this profession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Psychologist | New Zealand Psychologists Board | No | You want a comprehensive assessment, formulation, diagnosis, or evidence-based therapy for mental health, emotional, behavioural, learning, or wellbeing concerns. |
| Registered Psychiatrist | Medical Council of New Zealand | Yes | You may need medical assessment, diagnosis, medication, or specialist treatment for more severe or complex mental health conditions. |
| Counsellor | Professional bodies such as NZAC | No | You want support with life challenges, relationships, grief, stress, personal growth, or everyday emotional difficulties. |
| Registered Psychotherapist | Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand | No | You want to explore deeper emotional, relational, or psychological patterns, including trauma, attachment, and long-standing difficulties. |
| Creative Arts Therapist | Australia, New Zealand, and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) | No | You would rather work through art, music, drama, or movement than through talking alone, or find feelings hard to put into words. |
Understanding the differences
Professional titles are only one part of the picture. Practitioners within the same profession often have different special interests, training and ways of working.
Use this guide to understand the roles of each profession, then explore individual practitioner profiles to learn more about their experience, expertise and approach to care.