What type of Mental Health support is right for me?
Our team of mental health providers bring together comprehensive expertise, passion, training, and life experience creating a lush collective pool of wisdom which we share amongst our collaborative professional group. Each therapist focuses their passions in areas of particular interest, with targeted professional qualifications to specialise and work extensively across clinical presentations, therapeutic approaches, and life stages to provide individuals, and their families an impressive depth of support.
Registered Psychologists
Registered Psychologists make up 60% of Australia’s psychologists overall. They have a minimum of six years of university training, supervised practical experience, and are required to continue to invest in their skills with ongoing professional development and training. Psychologists are educated in the science of how people feel, behave, and react and are qualified to provide help with issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and other mental health concerns disorders. Psychologists employ several evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT, sometimes referred to as “Tapping”) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), to arm clients with the insights, knowledge, and tools they need to make positive gains in improving their mental health, strengthen coping mechanisms and enhance wellbeing.
Clinical Psychologists
Clinical Psychologists have the same foundation of tertiary training as a Registered Psychologist; however, they complete an additional 2 years of postgraduate education in the diagnosis and treatment of mental, behavioural, and emotional disorders. Clinical psychologists can assist in diagnosing mental health concerns, make treatment recommendations, and offer therapeutic support to manage these conditions but unlike a psychiatrist or GP they cannot prescribe medications.
Provisional Psychologists
Provisional Psychologists are newly graduated psychologists, having successfully completed their 5 years of tertiary qualifications (study, placements & research) and are undertaking their final year of ‘on the job’ supervised practice prior to gaining full registration. Like Registered and Clinical Psychologists, they have the skills and training to assess symptoms, and guide you through the most appropriate therapeutic interventions in your case.
Services provided by psychologists with provisional registration are not eligible for Medicare rebates under a Mental Health Care Plan, however their consultation fees are adjusted to offset this.
4thought’s Director and Senior Psychologist, Louise Johnson, personally assesses all our graduate candidates. Louise is passionate in selecting graduates that have outstanding qualities, talent, and professional competency. Our team embraces graduates that bring fresh eyes and perspective into our team. They bring knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm around the most current approaches to treatment, and an eagerness to learn, develop, and invest in the future of our community’s improved mental health.
Educational & Developmental Psychologists
Educational and Developmental Psychologists are expertly focussed and trained in supporting people to optimise their performance at school and in academic pursuits, like reading, writing and concentration.
They work with clients to identify, assess, and screen for learning difficulties, neurodivergence, developmental delays, and behavioural issues that can impact social development and academic performance. This process usually begins with a formal Cognitive & Educational Assessment, and the results of this report are then used to provide guidance, direction and education around teaching and learning process. This supports clients, parents, and teachers to review how a curriculum is tailored, considering individual learning styles, impediments, and the level and volume of information an individual can absorb, and realise their true learning potential.
Counsellors & Life Coaches
Counsellors help people through life transitions, with a focus on interpersonal relationships and offering support when struggling with life’s general ups and downs.
Counselling is a process of talking about and working through your personal challenges, helping you to address your concerns in a positive way, clarify the issues, explore options, develop strategies, and increase self-awareness. For some people, just the process of telling their story, and being listened to by an objective professional, is immensely helpful.
Life coaches can help you clarify your goals, identify the obstacles holding you back, and then come up with strategies for overcoming each obstacle.
Many people seek out life coaches for guidance in navigating a significant life transition, such as embarking on a new career, but often people turn to life coaches to help them to explore practical ways to build a happier, more meaningful life for themselves. Life coaches help you zone into your unique skills and gifts, and explore and harness your strengths, providing the support you need to affect long-lasting positive change.