What is a psychologist?

This article is general information, not professional advice. Emergency: 000

A man with tattoos and a man bun on a beach with his arm extended. The picture is from the back as he faces out to the sand and water.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) defines a psychologist as

A professional trained in the science of how people think, feel, behave and learn1

Australian Psychological Society (APS)

The Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) adds that

A psychologist is mental health professional who has undertaken a minimum of 6 years of combined university study and applied workplace supervision2

Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi)

The Australian Clinical Psychologists Association (ACPA) talks about clinical psychologists (those who hold an endorsement in clinical psychology).

The Australian Clinical Psychologists Association (ACPA) talks about clinical psychologists (those who hold an endorsement in clinical psychology).

A clinical psychologist is a psychologist who is an expert in mental health. They have undertaken highly specialised training in the assessment, diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment of mental health, behavioural, and emotional disorders across the lifespan… Education and training of clinical psychologists takes eight years.3

Australian Clinical Psychologists Association (ACPA)

A registered psychologist is also known as a general psychologist if they do not hold an area of practice endorsement from the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). PsyBA note as it relates to general psychologists.

General registration allows psychologists to work in any area of psychology that is within their scope of practice and to use the title ‘Psychologist’. All psychologists with general registration meet a minimum standard of education and training and have been assessed as a suitable person to hold general registration in the profession4

Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA)

The APS explains that

An ‘endorsement’ indicates that a registered psychologist has qualifications in a particular area of practice (such as clinical psychology, health psychology or sport and exercise psychology) and an additional two years or more of supervised experience in that area. A psychologist with an area of practice endorsement usually has a minimum of eight years of university training and supervised experience in that area of practice endorsement5

Australian Psychological Society (APS)

There are nine areas of endorsement, including clinical neuropsychology, clinical psychology, community psychology, counselling psychology, educational and developmental psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, organisational psychology, and sport and exercise psychology.

  1. https://www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/about-psychology/what-is-a-psychologist ↩︎
  2. https://www.aapi.org.au/Web/findapsychologist/About-psychologists-for-clients/Web/Accessing-Psychologists/What-is-a-psychologist.aspx ↩︎
  3. https://acpa.org.au/what-is-a-clinical-psychologist ↩︎
  4. https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Registration/General.aspx ↩︎
  5. https://www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/about-psychology/types-of-psychologists/Psychologists-with-an-Area-of-Practice-Endorsement ↩︎

Psych Point – Telehealth psychology

We provide psychologist telehealth sessions available anywhere in Australia.