What’s the difference between counselling, psychotherapy & psychology?
The terms such as: “counselor”, “psychologist” and “psychotherapist” are often used interchangeably. While all these terms refer to professionals working in a mental health sector, each of these might have a slightly different meaning.
When we begin looking for therapeutic support, it’s good to have a general idea of what what different terms mean. This article will talk you through a difference between counselling, psychotherapy and psychology so that you can feel more empowered to choose the right support for yourself.
Similarities & differences between counselling, psychotherapy & psychology
Counsellors, psychotherapists and (counselling) psychologists all aim to support their clients who experience issues or challenges in their day to day lives. They all use talk therapy and they may incorporate other tools to support their clients.
There are a few key differences that separate each of these and they come down to:
- the goal and timeline,
- approaches to using talk therapy,
- training and how the profession is regulated by authorities.
Counselling
The difference between a psychotherapist and a counsellor is so slight that many mental health professionals refer to themselves as a “counsellor and psychotherapist”.
If you were to work with somebody whose title is a “counsellor”, you may expect a therapy that is more focused on what’s happening in your life in the present moment. Whether it’s difficulties in your romantic life or in your career, a counsellor is there to support you through those challenging moments.
Counselling is therefore more of a short-term process that deals with specific issues and challenges. In counselling, you wouldn’t dive deeper into your unconscious mind, or explore your past. A counsellor may guide you towards specific solutions, or help you develop techniques and tools to help you support yourself. In that sense, counselling can be seen as a more practical approach that’s focused on what’s immediate and what can be done in the here and now to help you cope.
Psychotherapy
One difference between a psychotherapist and a counsellor is that in psychotherapy you’ll have an additional layer to the process. Your therapist will encourage you to look deeper inside of yourself and gain an understanding of why the issue you’re experiencing exists in the first play. You may find yourself discussing your childhood, events from the past, unprocessed feelings and events.
Your therapists may invite you to focus on emotions and experiences you’ve had when growing up in the context of your current experiences. The goal here might be to help you see how the past experiences shaped who you are now.
You may also be encouraged to go deeper into the events in your past that you haven’t fully processed. Emotions and memories that are buried deep in your unconscious mind might be brought to the surface.
The goal of psychotherapy is to empower you by freeing you from the unconscious blockages and triggers by helping you to expand your self-awareness and process emotional wounds.
Counselling psychology
Counselling psychologists work in a way that is similar to counsellors and psychotherapists but they have a more scientific background.
A counselling psychologist is someone who gained a degree in psychology, and then continued on with their education and completed a doctorate in counselling psychology.
Psychology is a discipline that is grounded in science and research but a very small portion of the psychology courses include working directly with patients. For this reason, psychologists need further training if they wish to work in a clinical setting as therapists. A doctorate in counselling psychology provides this set of skills and knowledge.
Final notes
What’s important to know is that counselling and psychotherapy in Ireland are not regulated by law at the moment. The regulations, standard and quality of the profession are provided by accrediting bodies such a IACP or IAHIP. This means that anyone can call themselves a counselor or a psychotherapist, even if they have very little or no training in the area. This is why it is recommended to always work with therapists who either have accreditation or who are working towards accreditation.
Furthermore, please bear in mind that psychologists who work as therapists usually have either additional training in the area of counselling or have a doctorate in counselling psychology. If you wish to work with a psychologist in a psychotherapeutic setting, you may wish to make sure that the specialist you choose is trained to provide the type of service you’re looking for.