Very broadly, psychology is the study and understanding of the way that people behave, think, and how they feel, and considers the impact of people’s personal history, current situation, and also the impact of their biology. A psychologist is trained and skilled in the assessment and psychological treatment of mental health difficulties, emotional and behavioural problems, and psychological disorders.

At Foresight Psychology, all our psychologists have completed at least 6 years of tertiary education in the area of psychology, the brain, and human behaviour, and have specialised postgraduate training in psychological assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based psychological treatment.

A clinical psychologist is a psychologist who is an expert in mental health, having undertaken highly specialised training in the assessment, diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment of mental health, behavioural, and emotional disorders across the lifespan, ranging from mild to severe and complex conditions.

Education and training of clinical psychologists takes at least 8 years.

A clinical psychology registrar is a psychologist who has completed at least 6 years of tertiary education in the area of psychology including at least 2 years in clinical psychology, and is currently undergoing a period of supervised practice prior to becoming a clinical psychologist.

‘Psychologist’ and ‘clinical psychologist’ are protected terms meaning that only people who have suitable qualifications and certified skills can call themselves a psychologist. Anyone can call themselves a ‘counsellor’ or ‘therapist’, so when choosing a mental health professional its helpful to check that they are suitably trained and qualified.