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Other Approaches to Therapy

For any one seeking help for mental or emotional distress it can be very confusing understanding the various professions. There are a range of professions each with their own methods and styles. This is a very brief outline of the distinctions between the various professions in NZ. The therapists on this site offer both counselling and psychotherapeutic approaches

Psychotherapists

Psychotherapy is deeply respectful of each individual's inner mental and emotional life. The focus of psychotherapy is exploring unconscious foundations of old unhelpful patterns and building new skills. This is made meaningful in the light of relationship. As such it has faith in the potential for self development and healing given the conditions of a ongoing, empathic and secure relationship between therapist and client. Psychotherapists required to be registered with PBANZ (Psychotherapy Board of Aotearoa New Zealand) and practice under the HPCAA (Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act).

Counsellors

Counsellors have a wide range of training from brief training such as volunteers for phone line counselling through to post graduate training. Counsellors tend to focus on support and problem solving. At this point in time there is no requirements for counsellors to be registered.

Psychoanalysts

Psychoanalysts are psychotherapists with a traditional Freudian training.

Psychologists

Psychologists are not doctors. They generally have a masters degree in psychology and post graduate training in clinical psychology. Their usual mode of practice is called CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) that focuses on the influence of thoughts (cognition) on feelings and behaviour.

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are doctors with a specialist training in mental illness. They predominantly offer drug therapies but some combine this with psychotherapy. Only doctors or psychiatrists can prescribe drugs (i.e. anti depressants).

Find a Therapist

Learn more about Issues we deal with, Counselling Services we offer, see a map of Therapist Locations or find Auckland Therapist by suburb.