Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It influences how we feel, think and act. You can be mentally healthy, just like you can be physically healthy. Being mentally healthy looks like fulfilling your full potential, being able to cope with stressful situations, working productively, connecting and contributing to your community.
Mental health disorders are mental health conditions that affect how you feel, act and behave. These disorders can start when you have poor mental health. Mental health disorders can be diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
• Counsellor: someone you can talk to about problems you are having. They often use talk therapy and can help support you with everyday problems. They cannot assess or diagnose mental disorders.
• Psychologist: a trained health care professional that can assess, diagnose and treat mental health disorders. The cost of seeing a psychologist depends on the psychologist or clinic. Different psychologists may try or specialised in different treatment approaches (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy).
• Psychiatrist: a trained medical doctor who has completed specialised training in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications, which makes them different to psychologists. As they do different things, you can have both a psychologist and psychiatrist to help support you.
