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Psychologist

Key points about psychologists

A psychologist is someone with expertise in all aspects of psychological functioning such as human mind and behaviour.
A psychologist can help you understand the importance of mental wellbeing and how to function more effectively in life.

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A psychologist assesses, investigates and treats people who have problems with psychological wellbeing.

Some psychologists are more specialised and have additional training in certain areas, such as:

clinical psychology
clinical neuropsychology
community psychology
counselling psychology
educational and developmental psychology
forensic psychology
organisational psychology
health psychology
sports psychology.

We all experience some ups and downs, sometimes feeling low and other times being happy. If you have ongoing distress and your ability to function is affected, you may benefit from professional support. Talk to your GP or doctor to find out whether you need to see a psychologist.

A psychologist can help you understand the importance of mental wellbeing and how to function more effectively in life. They can help you to:

deal with stress
deal with depression
improve sleep
improve relationships
improve work performance.

A psychologist treats people by providing psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, interpersonal therapy and family therapy. Read more about different types of psychological therapies(external link).

Psychological therapies have been proven to be beneficial for some mental health conditions. These include:

There are 3 main differences between a psychiatrist and a psychologist:

A psychiatrist:	A psychologist:
is a doctor can prescribe medications provide treatments by referring a patient to a psychologist for psychological therapies.	is not a medical doctor can't prescribe medications provide treatments by carrying out psychological therapies such as CBT, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, psychotherapy or talking therapy.

Psychotherapists and counsellors also offer psychological therapies such as CBT, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, psychotherapy or talking therapy.

A psychologist can work in many different places, depending on the specialisation. These include:

schools
health centres
hospitals
community and sports organisations
non-governmental organisations
police and defence services
research institutes
private clinics.

Talk to your GP or doctor about getting a referral to a psychologist. Or you can pay for a private service.

A psychologist has to do at least 5 years of training and be registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board(external link) to work in New Zealand. Find out about different training options to become a psychologist on the Careers NZ website(external link).

Healthcare in NZ topics
Types of healthcare providers

Psychologist(external link) Careers NZ
What psychologists do(external link) New Zealand Psychologists Board
Psychological treatments(external link) Your Health In Mind, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists