THE Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) recently released a position statement last Wednesday, October 17, explaining the difference between a psychologist, psychiatrist, and guidance counselor.

This comes after a local publication posted an article last October 10th, which sparked a discussion online regarding the difference in roles between the three. 

The article in question was titled: “Psychologist, psychiatrist, or life coach: Who to seek when in need of professional help?” 

People particularly questioned the article’s definition of a life coach, who were described to help people who are unsure of what their next step in life should be. They added that if people are feeling stuck, they can turn to a life coach for help.

Prior to PAP’s statement, a netizen on Facebook also created a post detailing the differences between the three, emphasizing that it is important to consult with licensed mental health professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, guidance counselors, and psychometricians.

PAP explained that they wanted to clarify these roles to help people in making informed decisions when seeking mental health support and services, hence why they created a statement.

As per said statement, the roles and functions of each one are as follows: 

Psychologists are focused on helping people through counseling, psychotherapy, coaching, psychological debriefing, psychosocial support, and other non-medical interventions to improve psychological functioning of individuals, families, groups, and / or organizations. 

They add that  psychologists are highly trained for psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions best for individual needs in clinical settings, workplaces, schools, or communities. 

They further explain that life coaching is part of psychology, and can be used to offer general guidance and support for mental health concerns that are not severe.

Psychiatrists are licensed medical doctors who specialize in one’s diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for mental health conditions. They help to manage mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders via psychiatric evaluations, prescribing medications, as well as other medical treatment.

Guidance counselors help to promote behavioral changes and enhance optimal mental health using counseling, usually in school or educational settings. They help those experiencing emotional distress by identifying goals and potential solutions to their problems, and are instrumental in helping people improve their personal and professional functioning.

They further state that psychologists, psychiatrists, guidance counselors, social workers, nurses, and other trained allied health professionals are all important in supporting communities, often collaborating within a Community Mental Health System which provides holistic care for those dealing with mental health issues.

They also included in their statement the importance of media outlets to report issues related to mental health with care and responsibility, given that the media significantly influences public understanding. 

They explain that the media can help to enhance awareness and reduce stigma surrounding getting professional help for mental health issues, as well as foster well-informed public discourse with regard to mental health.

Some accredited mental health professionals and professional organizations that PAP suggests media organizations consult with, aside from PAP themselves, are:

• The Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA)
• The Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA) 
• The Philippine Nurse Association (PNA)
• The Philippine Association of Social Workers Inc. (PASWI)

Further queries

While many thanked PAP for this clarification, others always raised questions as per the functions of guidance counselors.

Some have raised concerns that the function of guidance counselors are too narrow. One commenter raises that guidance counselors also work in companies, community programs, and private practices, as it is a common misunderstanding that counselors are often only found in academic settings. 

“A common misunderstanding is that counselors, especially in schools, are mostly there to handle discipline (‘behavior change’) or do administrative tasks,” they wrote. 

“When people hear “guidance counselor,” they often think of someone who manages student behavior or academic records. This idea really limits the way we see their actual work.”

They added that this is why some may even see life coaching as better than guidance counseling, as guidance counselors are often only associated with schools despite being trained professionals who can help in many other ways.

Other commenters also noted that guidance counselors also do psychological testing, research, career counseling, placement, teaching of counseling subjects, group processing, program management and development, psychotherapy, and more.

Some commenters have since called for a statement from the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA) for a statement fully explaining the scope of the profession. Others have also asked for a full explanation for other roles covered by PAP, such as psychometricians.