Psychiatry is a specialization of medicine. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of mental disorders and often prescribe medication as part of the recommended treatment. Today pharmacology has come a long way in being able to offer patients symptom relief.

Psychology is a talk based therapy. Often recommended for short term treatment and specific complaints. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is often the prescribed approach Clinical Psychologists use in Australia. Typically this involves offering strategies to help a person out of negative patterns of thinking/feeling/behaviour. Evidence shows that it can be an effective way to help a person manage symptoms that once felt unmanageable.

Counselling is a talk based therapy. It is also often directive in it’s approach, and short term, to help people get back on their feet. For instance following the loss of a loved one, we may seek “Grief Counselling” to help us process that loss.

Analytic Psychotherapy is a talk based therapy. It uses psychoanalytic principles of considering unconscious mental processes. This can be very helpful in the case of recurring persistent forms of mental suffering, such as repeated depression or anxiety issues. We speak to the repetition of these symptoms.

Psychoanalysis or Analysis is a talk based therapy. Like Analytic Psychotherapy it considers unconscious mental processes. The method used is one of free association, whereby one is invited to say whatever is on their mind, opening the possibility to uncover deeper mental connections that have been previously buried or repressed over one’s life experience. Analysis is an extremely thorough process, one that addresses all aspects of our relationship with others and ourselves. It is a deeply personal way to get to fully know ourselves.

There is no prescribed time for addressing mental suffering. However, the sooner one seeks help the better.

One of the most common misconception is to think that one does not need help or treatment as it may be perceived as a form of weakness or indulgence of some kind. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Acknowledging one’s suffering is a big step to finding one’s solution to one’s complaint and takes courage and commitment.

Investing in one’s mental health is no different really to investing in one’s physical health.

We always consider financial circumstances. Therapy or analysis should not become a burdensome source of financial stress, so the fee is initially arranged on the basis of what is possible. Cancelling or postponing sessions generally works in the direction of resistance rather than change.