Psychotherapist vs Psychologist: Understanding Emotional Healing, Self-Worth, and Internal Family Systems Therapy
What Is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a form of professional support that focuses on emotional healing and personal growth. It’s about more than solving surface-level problems — it gently explores the roots of your thoughts, feelings, and patterns to support long-term change.
As a Registered Psychotherapist®, I’m trained in depth-oriented approaches that consider the whole of you — your body, mind, history, culture, and relationships. My role is to walk beside you as you navigate life’s complexities, whether it’s in your inner world or your connections with others.
Unlike short-term counselling, psychotherapy often works at a slower, deeper pace, helping you understand and integrate your experiences with compassion and curiosity.
What Happens in Psychotherapy Sessions?
In sessions, my focus is on helping you untangle the complexities of your emotional and relational life. Whether you're struggling with low self-worth, relationship confusion, or internal conflict, I offer a calm and grounded space to explore.
Here's what you can expect:
You share what's present for you — whether it's a current issue, a pattern, or something unclear.
I ask reflective questions to support insight and clarity.
We explore the feelings and parts underneath the surface.
Sometimes the process is more experiential — using visualisation, mapping, or somatic awareness to support emotional understanding.
I offer tools or invitations to explore between sessions, always at your pace.
My goal is to help you feel seen, heard, and supported — and to work gently through what holds you back, so you can return to a clearer sense of yourself and your needs.
How Psychotherapy Differs from Other Helping Roles
Understanding the distinction between psychotherapists, psychologists, and counsellors can help you choose the support that fits you best.
Psychologists are often trained in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. Many also offer therapy, grounded in research and clinical frameworks, often with a medicalised lens.
Counsellors often provide short-term, solution-focused support. They work with a range of life issues such as grief, stress, or transitions, and can offer powerful emotional support.
Psychotherapists focus on deeper emotional work, often with a longer-term, relational approach. The work is usually insight-based and may explore the impact of childhood, trauma, or relationship patterns.
Each profession has value — it’s about choosing the approach that resonates most with what you need at this point in your journey.
My Approach: A Blend of Depth Modalities
I draw from a number of therapeutic approaches to meet each person where they are. These include:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) – working with inner parts to reduce internal conflict and increase compassion
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) – exploring the wisdom in your emotions
Narrative Therapy – understanding the stories we’ve inherited and how they shape our identity
Somatic awareness and attachment-based frameworks
Our work together is flexible, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity — always tailored to your pace.
Who I Work With
I work with adults navigating:
Low self-worth or emotional overwhelm
Repeating relational patterns
Attachment wounds and internal criticism
Life transitions, grief, or identity confusion
Trauma or persistent anxiety
My style is relational, warm, and insight-focused. Whether you're facing uncertainty in a relationship or feeling disconnected from yourself, we create a safe space to begin again.
I offer therapy both in Adelaide and online to clients across Australia and the United States (with time zones that work for both of us).
Emotional Healing and Self-Worth
So many of the struggles we carry — in love, work, or identity — are linked to how we see ourselves. Psychotherapy gently opens the door to understanding what shaped your beliefs and how to shift them toward kindness and clarity.
Through therapy, we explore:
Where negative self-beliefs began
How protector parts are working overtime
Ways to reconnect with calm, confident Self energy
What it means to belong to yourself first
Healing isn’t about fixing you. It’s about remembering who you are underneath the survival strategies.
Final Thoughts
If you’re unsure where to start, know this: it’s normal to feel hesitant. Whether you’ve tried therapy before or are considering it for the first time, I’m here to support you — gently, collaboratively, and without judgment.
The first step doesn’t need to be big. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to begin.
Ready to begin your therapy journey?
If you feel ready to begin, you can book your first session directly https://www.annesureyya.com.au/booking or https://www.annesureyya.com.au/booking
If you’re unsure whether therapy is right for you, take your time reading through my blog posts or exploring my approach.