Does your couples therapist need to be a psychologist?

Not necessarily. Many skilled couples therapists are social workers, psychotherapists or other counsellors, and what matters most is specialist training in couples therapy, experience, and a working relationship you both trust. But seeing a psychologist, and particularly a clinical psychologist, can bring some extra safeguards and skills. These matter most when relationship difficulties are tangled up with anxiety, depression, trauma, alcohol or questions of safety.

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What the titles mean in Australia

"Psychologist" is a protected title. Only people registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, through Ahpra, can use it. "Counsellor", "psychotherapist" and "couples therapist" are not legally regulated titles, although many practitioners voluntarily belong to professional bodies such as PACFA or the Australian Counselling Association, which set their own standards.

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What a psychologist can add

• Regulation and accountability. Psychologists must meet national registration standards, including ongoing professional development, professional indemnity insurance and criminal history checks, and they work under a national code of conduct. If something goes wrong, there's an independent regulator you can go to.

• Training in mental health assessment. Relationship distress and individual difficulties such as depression, anxiety and problem drinking often feed each other. A psychologist is trained to recognise when one partner's mental health is part of the picture, and when it needs attention in its own right.

• Careful assessment, including safety. Research suggests that around half of couples seeking therapy have experienced some physical aggression in the previous year, and it is easily missed if no one asks. Assessing safety is a core part of psychological training, and couples therapy isn't the right approach in every situation.

• Couples therapy that also helps individual problems. Couple-based treatments have good research support for alcohol and drug problems and for PTSD, and couples therapy can reduce relationship distress when one partner is depressed. Using them well calls on knowledge of both the relationship and the individual condition. (A related example is relationship OCD, where persistent doubts about a partner or relationship are a form of OCD rather than a sign the relationship is wrong.)

• Evidence-based practice and measurement. Psychologists are trained in research methods and psychological assessment, so they're well placed to use validated questionnaires (such as the Gottman Relationship Check-Up) and to track whether therapy is helping.

• Working with your GP and other health professionals. With your consent, a psychologist can liaise with your GP or psychiatrist, and recognise when one of you would benefit from individual treatment elsewhere. (Medicare doesn't cover couples therapy, but individual therapy may be rebated with a Mental Health Treatment Plan.)

• Clinical psychologists in particular. A clinical psychologist has completed an accredited two-year postgraduate degree in clinical psychology followed by two years of supervised practice, focused on assessing and treating complex mental health problems.

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What matters just as much

A psychology degree on its own doesn't make someone a good couples therapist. Working with two people at once is a distinct skill. Whoever you see, it's worth asking:

• What specific training have you done in couples therapy (for example, Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy or Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy)?

• How do you assess a relationship before starting, and do you see each partner individually?

• How do you handle concerns about safety, affairs or secrets?

• How will we know whether therapy is helping?

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My approach

I'm a clinical psychologist with Level 3 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and an Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. Couples therapy starts with a structured assessment, including the Gottman Relationship Check-Up and one individual session with each partner, so that I understand both of you, and any safety or individual concerns, before we agree on goals. See the Couples Therapy page for how it works, or send an enquiry.