What is Counselling & Psychotherapy
This page explains the scope of counselling & psychotherapy at SILZ and how it differs from yet relates to mental health treatment and support.
This document supports informed choice and ethical practice consistent with professional expectations commonly associated with counselling and psychotherapy best practice.
What is counselling and psychotherapy?
Counselling and psychotherapy are talking therapies that support emotional wellbeing, self-understanding, coping, relationships, and behaviour change.
At SILZ, sessions may include:
Making sense of patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships
Building skills for regulating stress, anxiety, and overwhelm
Strengthening boundaries and communication
Exploring meaning, values, identity, and parts of the self that feel split or stuck
Practical between-session experiments to help change take root in daily life
What mental illness treatment can involve
Mental illness treatment can include a range of supports depending on the person's needs, such as:
Assessment and diagnosis (where provided by appropriately qualified professionals)
Psychological therapies delivered by registered psychologists
Medication management by a GP or psychiatrist
Psychiatric care and specialist mental health services
Hospital or acute mental health services in crisis situations
How counselling can help when mental illness is present
Some clients come to counselling with a diagnosed mental illness, complex symptoms, or long-term mental health challenges.
Counselling can be supportive and depending on your needs, counselling may help you:
Understand triggers, patterns, and protective factors
Build day-to-day coping strategies and emotional regulation skills
Strengthen routines, boundaries, and relationships
Increase insight and self-compassion without minimising real challenges
Stay connected to values and meaning alongside symptoms
Where appropriate and with your consent, SILZ can work alongside other professionals as part of a broader support team.
Scope of practice at SILZ
SILZ provides counselling/psychotherapy within professional scope, training, and competence.
This means SILZ:
Works collaboratively and transparently with you
Does not provide medical services
Does not prescribe medication
Does not provide emergency/crisis response services
Does not provide formal psychiatric diagnosis
If you need supports outside SILZ's scope, this will be discussed with you respectfully.
When additional or different support may be recommended
SILZ may recommend additional support (such as a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, or specialist service) if:
You are experiencing severe or escalating symptoms
There are safety concerns (risk of harm to self or others)
You may benefit from a formal assessment or diagnosis
Medication review or medical input may be helpful
Your needs require a higher level of care than can be safely provided in counselling alone
This does not mean you have failed or that counselling has failed. It simply means your support needs may be broader than one service can provide.
Collaborative care (with your consent)
With your written consent, SILZ can liaise with your GP or other treating professionals to support coordinated care. This may include sharing limited, relevant information such as attendance, general therapy goals, or risk-related concerns.
SILZ is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
For urgent mental health support, you can contact:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Our website also details a comprehensive list of crisis support services on our contact page.
Questions
If you are unsure whether counselling is the right fit for what youre going through, you are welcome to ask. We can talk through options and next steps.
Email: hello@silzcounselling.com.au