Counselling and Therapy: A Research-Based Guide to Finding Mental Health Support in Perth
Introduction: How to Make an Informed Choice About Mental Health Support
Finding the right support for your mental health can feel overwhelming—especially when you're unsure what type of professional to see, what kind of therapy you need, or where to begin.
This guide is designed to help you make sense of your options. We explore the latest research on therapy outcomes, therapist qualifications, and evidence-based approaches to conditions like anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Finally, we provide a list of trusted services available locally to help you take the next step toward care.
For more on how and when to seek support, see our companion article: Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health.
Does Therapy Work?
The short answer is yes. Psychological therapies consistently show strong outcomes across a range of mental health conditions.
A meta-analysis of over 250 studies found large treatment effects for depression (d = 0.96), anxiety (d = 0.80), and general psychological distress (d = 1.01) in real-world clinical settings (Barkham et al., 2022). These results hold true across different types of therapy and client populations, confirming that therapy is effective beyond controlled research environments.
Even when accounting for study quality and publication bias, psychotherapy remains significantly more effective than no treatment (Furukawa et al., 2023).
To better understand how therapy helps with specific conditions, you can also explore:
What Therapy Works Best for Which Conditions?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most thoroughly researched and effective forms of therapy for a variety of conditions:
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): CBT and third-wave CBTs (like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) are consistently more effective than other modalities (Hunot et al., 2024).
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): CBT remains the most effective treatment, showing superior results to other psychotherapies (Goldin & Gross, 2024).
Depression: CBT demonstrates large treatment effects, particularly for moderate to severe depression (Cuijpers et al., 2014).
Other Evidence-Based Approaches
ACT and mindfulness-based therapies are effective for emotional regulation, avoidance, and long-term stress.
EMDR therapy shows robust outcomes for trauma and PTSD.
Narrative, interpersonal, and gestalt therapies can support people facing identity, grief, or relationship issues.
Play therapy and family systems therapy are suitable for children, teens, and parents working through developmental or relational challenges.
Research suggests psychotherapy is as effective as pharmacotherapy in the short term and often more effective long-term, particularly when combined (Leucht et al., 2022).
Do Therapist Qualifications Matter?
The qualifications of your therapist—such as their training, experience, and skill—can affect outcomes, but the impact varies.
Experience matters more when therapies are not manualised. One meta-analysis found a small but significant benefit of therapist experience for treating internalising disorders like depression (Aafjes-van Doorn et al., 2018).
Competence is associated with better outcomes in some conditions, such as social anxiety (Baier et al., 2022), but results are inconsistent overall.
Structured training, especially in evidence-based approaches like CBT, has a more consistent link to therapy success (Beidas et al., 2012).
In practice, well-trained early-career therapists using structured methods can achieve results comparable to seasoned clinicians—particularly when they receive supervision and follow evidence-based frameworks. To understand more about choosing the right provider, see our article on Psychiatrist vs Psychologist: Key Differences.
What Conditions Respond Best to Counselling and Therapy?
Evidence supports therapy for a wide range of concerns, including:
Depression and Anxiety – strong, lasting effects across CBT, ACT, and integrative therapies (Marks & Rutherford, 2018).
Trauma and PTSD – EMDR and trauma-informed CBT show moderate to large effect sizes (Leucht et al., 2022).
OCD and eating disorders – CBT and exposure-based approaches often outperform medication alone.
Relationship and family stress – Couples therapy, family therapy, and systems work improve emotional connection and communication.
Adjustment, grief, identity, and self-esteem issues – Narrative and strength-based therapies can support meaning-making and recovery.
Alternative or adjunctive methods like peer support and body psychotherapy may also enhance outcomes (Röhricht et al., 2021; Lloyd-Evans et al., 2022).
Local Mental Health Services in Perth
Once you understand what kind of help you’re looking for, the next step is finding it. Perth offers a wide range of services to suit different needs, therapy preferences, and financial situations.
Public and Low-Cost Services
North Metropolitan Health Service provides public mental health services across age groups, including community teams and inpatient care.
Medicare Mental Health Centres offer free and confidential therapy for adults aged 18+—no referral needed.
General Practices and Specialist Clinics
Rokeby GP Mental Health Clinic focuses on early intervention for anxiety and depression, integrated within general practice.
Marian Centre offers private inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, with allied health support.
Perth Clinic provides structured therapy programs, day patient services, and psychological assessments.
Private and Community-Based Providers
Clear Health Psychology delivers evidence-based therapy for adults, children, and families with psychologists and counsellors across the metro area.
Tenacious House offers tailored mental health and addiction support for men, particularly in northern suburbs.
These services span general counselling, trauma therapy, ADHD support, and culturally sensitive care. When choosing a provider, consider:
Your clinical needs (e.g. depression, trauma, anxiety)
Preferred modalities (e.g. CBT, EMDR, mindfulness)
Accessibility (online vs in-person)
Cost and referral requirements
Conclusion: Informed, Local, and Evidence-Based
Accessing counselling or therapy is a significant decision—but it doesn’t have to be confusing. With strong research showing the effectiveness of psychological treatments, and a range of services available locally, you can find the right help for your needs.
Whether you’re managing depression, navigating trauma, or seeking help for a child or partner, taking that first step is a powerful act of self-care—and one supported by science.
References
Aafjes-van Doorn, K., Kamsteeg, C., Bate, J., & Barber, J. P. (2018). A meta-analysis of the effect of therapist experience on internalizing client outcomes. Psychotherapy Research, 28(5), 657–673. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2018.1469802
Baier, A. L., Kline, A. C., Feeny, N. C., & Zoellner, L. A. (2022). Associations between therapist factors and treatment efficacy in adult trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2062986. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2022.2062986
Barkham, M., et al. (2022). The effectiveness of psychological interventions delivered in routine care settings: A meta-analysis. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 50(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01225-y
Beidas, R. S., Edmunds, J. M., Marcus, S. C., & Kendall, P. C. (2012). Training and consultation to promote implementation of an empirically supported treatment: A randomized trial. Psychiatric Services, 63(7), 660–665. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201100401
Cuijpers, P., et al. (2014). The efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in treating depressive and anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis of direct comparisons. World Psychiatry, 13(2), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20134
Furukawa, T. A., et al. (2023). Exploring the efficacy of psychotherapies for depression: Multiverse meta-analysis. BMJ Mental Health, 26(1), e300626. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2023-300626
Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2024). The efficacy of psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 97, 102740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102740
Hunot, V., et al. (2024). Psychotherapies for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 81(3), 224–235. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4646
Leucht, S., et al. (2022). The efficacy of psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies for mental disorders: A meta-analytic evaluation. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20944
Lloyd-Evans, B., et al. (2022). The effectiveness of peer support for individuals with mental illness: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 52(4), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721004176
Marks, I. M., & Rutherford, D. (2018). Is psychotherapy effective? A re-analysis of treatments for depression. BJPsych Open, 4(4), 201–205. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2018.32
Rapp, C. A., & Goscha, R. J. (2023). Strength-based methods – a narrative review and comparative analysis. Psychotherapy Research, 33(4), 456–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2023.2181718
Röhricht, F., et al. (2021). Effectiveness of body psychotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 709798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.709798