Understanding the various titles and categories within the field of psychology is essential for both professionals and the general public. This knowledge helps clarify the specific roles, qualifications, and areas of expertise of different practitioners, ensuring that clients can make informed decisions about their mental health care. It also highlights the distinction between regulated and non-regulated titles, underscoring the importance of legal regulations and professional standards in maintaining the quality and integrity of psychological services. Additionally, recognising non-compulsory professional organisations can guide professionals in pursuing further development and adhering to best practices within their field. This page provides a comprehensive overview of these titles, categorised by their regulatory status and practice areas, to enhance understanding and facilitate better mental health support for all.
Yes
No
Varies
Legend for quick‑compare badges.
Note: “Medicare mental health rebate” refers to Medicare items for mental health care (e.g., Better Access). Availability can depend on referral type, item numbers, eligibility and whether the provider offers clinical services.
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| AHPRA registration | Can prescribe | Medicare MH rebate | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A general term for a psychologist with general registration registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). It is against the National Law to call oneself a Psychologist unless they have registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) after completing an APAC approved 6-year sequence of training and supervised practice. | Association of Psychologists Incorporated (AAPi), Australian Psychological Society (APS) | 6 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Psychiatrist | Medicine | Regulated | A medical doctor who has specialised in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health conditions. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication, conduct physical examinations, and provide therapy. To become a psychiatrist in Australia, one must complete a medical degree (3-4 years), a one-year internship, 1-2 years of residency, and a 5-year specialist psychiatric training program (totaling approximately 10-12 years). A psychiatrist will typically hold a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or equivalent medical degree and hold a Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP). | Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) | 10 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| General Practitioner | Medicine | Regulated | A medical doctor providing primary care who can assess common mental health concerns, prescribe medication and create Medicare mental health treatment plans. GPs are not specialists in mental health and refer complex cases to psychologists or psychiatrists. | Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) | 10 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Provisional Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A person registered as a Provisional Psychologist is undertaking the training required for general registration as a psychologist. They must practice under the supervision of a registered psychologist and adhere to the guidelines set by the Psychology Board of Australia. | Australian Psychological Society (APS) | 4 | Yes | No | No |
| Clinical Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in clinical psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Clinical Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Clinical Psychologist. | Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA), APS College of Clinical Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Counselling Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in counselling psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Counselling Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Counselling Psychologist. | APS College of Counselling Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Educational and Developmental Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in educational and developmental psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself an Educational and Developmental Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become an Educational and Developmental Psychologist. | The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association, APS College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Forensic Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in forensic psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Forensic Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Forensic Psychologist. | APS College of Forensic Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Health Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in health psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Health Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Health Psychologist. | APS College of Health Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Neuropsychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in neuropsychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Neuropsychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Neuropsychologist. | APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Organisational Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in organisational psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself an Organisational Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become an Organisational Psychologist. | APS College of Organisational Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sport and Exercise Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in sport and exercise psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Sport and Exercise Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training to become a Sport and Exercise Psychologist. | APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Community Psychologist | Psychology Area of Practice Endorsement | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration and additional training and expertise in community psychology. It is against the National Law to call oneself a Community Psychologist unless they hold the Area of Practice Endorsement after having completed a minimum 2-year registrar program. It takes a minimum of 8 years of training and supervised practice to become a Community Psychologist. | APS College of Community Psychologists | 8 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Child Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who works with children, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Adolescent Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who works with adolescents, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Family Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who works with families, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Behavioural Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who focuses on behavioural issues, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| School Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who works in schools, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Paediatric Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who focuses on working with children and adolescents, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Rehabilitation Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who focuses on helping individuals recover from physical, emotional, or cognitive impairments, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vocational Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who works in career counselling and vocational assessment, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Research Psychologist | Psychology | Regulated | A psychologist with general registration who focuses on conducting research in various fields of psychology, without necessarily having an area of practice endorsement. A person must be a registered psychologist with AHPRA to use this title, and it must describe their skillset accurately in a way that does not misrepresent them to the public. Has completed a minimum of 6 years of training and supervised practice. | 6 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Counsellor | Allied Health | Non-Regulated | A professional who provides counselling services but is not necessarily a registered psychologist. They may have completed no formal training, but may have also gone as far as completing Masters or PhD level degrees. | Australian Counselling Association (ACA) | 0 | No | No | No |
| Social Worker | Allied Health | Non-Regulated | A professional who provides social services and support but is not necessarily a registered psychologist. | Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) | 0 | No | No | Varies* |
| Therapist | Allied Health | Non-Regulated | A professional who provides various forms of therapy but is not necessarily a registered psychologist. A broad title that many types of professionals might use in day-to-day but may have no formal qualifications. | Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) | 0 | No | No | No |
| Speech Pathologist | Allied Health | Non-Regulated | A health professional trained to assess and treat people who have speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. They work with individuals across the lifespan to improve communication skills. | Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) | 4 | No | No | No |
| Occupational Therapist | Allied Health | Regulated | A health professional who helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who need specific assistance to lead independent, productive, and satisfying lives due to physical, developmental, social, or emotional problems. Occupational Therapists are registered with AHPRA. | Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) | 4 | Yes | No | Varies* |
| Naturopath | Allied Health | Non-Regulated | A complementary health practitioner who uses natural therapies to support the body's ability to heal. Training requirements vary and the profession is not regulated by AHPRA. | Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) | 4 | No | No | No |
| Psychology Researcher | Academic | Non-Regulated | An individual who conducts research in various fields of psychology. This title does not necessarily imply registration as a psychologist. They may work in academic, government, or private research settings and typically hold advanced degrees in psychology or related fields. | Australian Psychological Society (APS) | 6 | No | No | No |
| Lecturer in Psychology | Academic | Non-Regulated | An academic professional who teaches psychology courses at a university or college. This title does not necessarily imply registration as a psychologist. They may be involved in research, curriculum development, and academic advising, and typically hold advanced degrees in psychology or related fields. | Australian Psychological Society (APS) | 6 | No | No | No |
* Medicare rebates for mental health apply only to Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and eligible Occupational Therapists under Better Access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who regulates psychology titles in Australia?
Titles are regulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).
Do I need to be registered to call myself a psychologist?
Yes. Only those registered with the PsyBA can use the title psychologist.
Where can I check a practitioner's registration?
Use the public register on the AHPRA website to confirm registration.
Are there endorsed areas of practice?
The PsyBA recognises nine areas of practice endorsement: clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, community psychology, counselling psychology, educational and developmental psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, organisational psychology, and sport and exercise psychology.
How can I report misuse of a protected title?
Concerns can be lodged through AHPRA’s online complaint form.
Why are there psychologists with titles that have nothing to do with area of practice endorsement?
Job titles often reflect workplace roles or settings and may not match the Psychology Board's formal areas of practice endorsement.
What is the difference between scope of practice, competency, endorsement, and special interest?
Understanding these regulatory terms helps interpret what a practitioner is authorised to do:
- Scope of practice
- The range of services a practitioner may provide, based on their education, supervised experience, registration status, workplace policies, and the standards set by regulators such as AHPRA and the PsyBA.
- Competency
- The demonstrable ability to perform specific professional tasks safely and effectively. Practitioners must maintain competence through ongoing professional development and reflective practice.
- Area of practice endorsement
- A formal recognition granted by the PsyBA to registered psychologists who have completed accredited postgraduate training and supervision in one of the nine regulated areas. It allows the practitioner to advertise that endorsed area and may be required by some employers.
- Special interest or focus (not "specialist")
- A descriptive focus used by workplaces or practitioners to highlight experience with certain client groups or interventions. Psychologists are not permitted to market themselves as "specialists", and these labels do not override registration requirements or scope of practice limits.
- Additional credentials
- Certifications, memberships, or endorsements from other professional bodies can show extra training but do not replace AHPRA registration or PsyBA endorsement when those are legally required.
Always check both registration and relevant endorsements to confirm a practitioner's authorisation and competence for the services they offer.
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