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A guide for Australia
Social worker, psychologist or counsellor: who should I see?
You know you want support. Working out who to book can be less clear. These professions overlap; the right fit depends on what you need, the practitioner’s experience and how you feel working together.
What each profession offers
Different training. Shared ground.
Counselling is a service that people from several professions provide. A professional title alone does not tell you which therapy someone offers or how they work.
| Professional | What they can help with | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Social worker providing counselling | Emotional support alongside attention to relationships, culture, work, housing, finances and access to services. Depending on their role, support may include advocacy or practical navigation. | Social work qualifications, AASW membership or accreditation, therapeutic training and experience with your concerns. Not all social workers offer counselling. |
| Psychologist | Psychological therapy and assessment. Some provide specialist diagnostic assessments or formal testing; others focus mainly on therapy. | Current Ahpra registration and whether they offer the particular therapy, assessment or report you need. |
| Counsellor or psychotherapist | Support to explore feelings, relationships, grief, stress and life changes. Approaches and specialist training vary. | Qualifications, experience and professional membership, such as ACA or PACFA. Ask how their approach fits your needs. |
Sources: Healthdirect’s mental health professionals, psychologists and psychiatrists and counselling guide.
Psychologists and counsellors can also work with your wider circumstances. Social work makes the connection between personal wellbeing and the world around you central to its approach.
Your life belongs in the conversation
Why choose a social worker for counselling?
Sometimes several pressures arrive together. You may want room to understand your feelings while also looking at what needs to change around you.
Social work counselling may be a useful fit when:
- You are carrying too much. Caring for others, work demands and family responsibilities leave little room for you.
- Several parts of life are tangled together. Grief, health changes, relationship strain or money worries are difficult to separate.
- Culture, belonging or access matters. You want these parts of your experience understood in the conversation.
- Support systems feel hard to navigate. You want emotional support alongside a clearer sense of your options.
Read more about seeing a social worker from the AASW.
You do not need a housing problem, a diagnosis or a practical crisis to seek counselling. Wanting support with how you feel is enough.
What is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?
An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) has met the AASW’s additional requirements for specialist mental health skills and experience. This is a distinct credential from Accredited Social Worker.
AMHSWs with a Medicare provider number can offer eligible services under Better Access. A rebate also depends on the appointment, referral and patient eligibility; it is not automatic for every social work session.
Sources: AASW mental health credential and Services Australia’s Medicare guidance.
When might another professional suit you better?
For a specific assessment or report: ask your GP or the organisation requesting it which professional and assessment they accept. A psychologist with the relevant expertise may be appropriate. MEB counselling appointments are not a substitute for formal diagnostic testing.
For medication advice or review: speak with your GP or psychiatrist. Psychologists, social workers and counsellors do not prescribe medication in these roles.
You may work with more than one professional. Counselling can sit alongside medical care or an assessment pathway.
Source: Healthdirect’s guide to psychiatrists and psychologists.
Four questions before you choose
- Have you worked with concerns and circumstances like mine?
- What might our sessions involve, and can the pace or format be adapted?
- What will I pay, including any rebate, and what are the cancellation terms?
- How will we check whether the work is helping?
Notice whether there is room for your questions. You can ask about the service before deciding to book.
How Meg works
Space for the whole picture.
Meg Bonetti brings more than twenty years of social work experience to private online counselling across Australia. Sessions consider what you are feeling, what is happening in your life and what support would be useful.
Her approach is trauma-informed and body-aware, with room for talking, practical reflection and noticing how stress shows up in the body. Explore support for burnout, neurodivergent women or relationships.
Individual counselling: $185 for 60 minutes.
Private fee · No Medicare rebate · No referral needed.
See fees, payment options and booking information.
Not sure whether this is the right fit?
Ask Meg a brief question about what you are looking for, or request a free 15-minute introductory call. There is no commitment to book.