General Counselling/Psychotherapy

This section of the Register lists practitioners from a broad range of modalities and orientations. Some are generalist practitioners, others are specialist practitioners. The professional associations to which these practitioners belong include counsellor associations, psychotherapist associations, or combined counsellor and psychotherapist associations.

State-based associations form a sub-group within this section and represent all states and territories within Australia, other than the Northern Territory.

Counselling and psychotherapy practitioners work cooperatively with clients to develop responses to difficult life circumstances. Issues may include depression, self-esteem, anxiety, grief and loss, communication and relationships, work and career, stress, life transitions, parenting, spirituality, and difficulties caused by addictions, trauma and abuse.

Counselling usually addresses particular issues or concerns for an individual, couple or family. The counsellor will focus with the client on dealing with the feelings and reactions experienced, and will assist the client in developing his or her own resources to find a way of moving forward.

Psychotherapy is generally a long term process that focuses on the self – both conscious and unconscious. Issues of personal meaning, relationship to self, and the impact of past events and trauma are dealt with. The psychotherapist works with the client to gain a deeper level of self-understanding in order to overcome core issues that underlie persistent or recurring problems in the client’s life.

While counselling and psychotherapy may be viewed as being on a continuum, there can also be considerable overlap between these two approaches.

Through the processes of counselling or psychotherapy clients are assisted to gain insight, to become aware of choices they did not initially recognise, to find more effective ways of relating, and to develop personal resources and resilience.

There are many different styles of counselling and psychotherapy represented in this section. Counselling and psychotherapy practitioners encourage their clients to be active partners in the therapy process. Clients are encouraged to seek information about the style of counselling or psychotherapy to be used.

All practitioners within this section are guided by the code of ethics of their professional association.

Member Associations within this Section:
Association of Personal Counsellors Inc.
Association of Solution Oriented Counsellors and Hypnotherapists of Australia
Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors and Psychotherapists
Australian Hypnotherapists Association
Christian Counsellors Association of Australia Inc
Clinical Counsellors Association
Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Canberra and Region
Counselling Association of South Australia Inc
Counsellors And Psychotherapists Association of NSW Inc
Counsellors And Psychotherapists Association of Victoria Inc
Professional Counselling Association of Tasmania
Psychotherapists and Counsellors Association of WA
Queensland Counsellors Association Inc
Western Pacific Association of Transactional Analysis