What’s The Difference Between Psychotherapy And Counselling?

In reality therapists are often doing a little of both.  Counselling is generally about resolving immediate life issues that are causing concern and learning new skills and strategies to help us live happier lives.  Psychotherapy has a large focus on understanding the underlying processes that create and affect our lives.  Both of these processes support healing and change.

We sometimes want someone to understand us and most counsellors and psychotherapists have been trained and have a desire to do just that.  At last count there are some 350 different therapeutic modalities with all kinds of theories about human development and human experience.  What the current research is clearly showing is that the major determining factor for a successful outcome of any therapeutic work is not the theoretical orientation of the therapist but rather their ability to establish a caring, respectful and trusting relationship with the people with whom they are working.