The Differences
Between Counselling and Psychotherapy
Definitions of
Counseling and Psychotherapy
What is psychotherapy?
What is counseling?
What are the differences between counseling and
psychotherapy?
"Psychotherapy" and "counseling" are
terms that are often used interchangeably. Although they are very similar,
there are some subtle differences as well.
What Is
Psychotherapy?
Anna O., Breuer’s patient, called to the treatment she
received as the ‘’talking cure’’. Talking, expressing, verbalizing or sharing
one’s pain is potentially healing.
How should psychotherapy be practiced? This question is relevant
to how psychotherapy is defined.
Psychotherapy
Helps people with psychological problems that have built up
over the course of a long period of time.
It will help you understand your feelings, thoughts and
actions more clearly.
Psychotherapy is a longer-term process of treatment that
identifies emotional issues and the background to problems and difficulties
‘’A conversation with a therapeutic purpose’’ (Korchin,
1976)
‘’The purchase of friendship’’ (Schofield, 1964)
‘’When one person with an emotional disorder gets help from
another person who has a little less of an emotional disorder’’ (J.Watkins,
personal communication, October 13, 1983)
"Psychotherapy" on the other hand is generally a
longer term treatment which focuses more on gaining insight into chronic
physical and emotional problems. It's focus is on the patient's thought
processes and way of being in the world rather than specific problems.
Psychotherapist: Less directive, go a little deeper, work a
little longer, charge a higher fee.
Psychotherapy is often treatment based in response to a
diagnosable mental health issue such as depression, bi-polar disorder,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, adjustment disorder, etc. It is often
in-depth and used in conjunction with psychotropic medication, but not
necessarily
What Is Counseling?
Adler might claim that counseling has an inferiority complex
with respect to its older sibling, psychotherapy.
Or psychotherapy has a superiority complex with respect to
its younger rival, counseling.
‘’Counseling is the artful application of scientifically
derived psychological knowledge and techniques for the purpose of changing
human behavior. (Burke, 1989)
Counselling
Helps people identify problems and crises and encourages
them to take positive steps to resolve these issues.
It is the best course of therapeutic treatment for anyone
who already has an understanding of wellbeing, and who is also able to resolve
problems.
Counselling is a short-term process that encourages the
change of behaviour
Counselor: Slightly more directive, work more on developmentally
normal issues, work more briefly, charge a bit less fee.
"counseling" is generally used to denote a
relatively brief treatment that is focused most upon behavior. It often targets
a particular symptom or problematic situation and offers suggestions and advice
for dealing with it.
Counselling tends to be wellness oriented, providing
increased insight and learning how to effectively overcome problems and
challenges.
What are the
differences between counseling and psychotherapy?
Patterson (1973): ‘’There are no essential differences
between counseling and psychotherapy’’
“Counseling and psychotherapy are the same qualitatively;
they differ only quantitatively; there is nothing that a psychotherapist does
that a counselor does not do (Corsini & Wedding, 2000, p. 2).”
Counseling versus
Psychotherapy
What are the
differences between psychotherapy and counseling?
Goals?
Shorter versus longer?
Problem versus person?
Guidance versus advice?
A little more on the surface versus a little deeper?
Cheaper versus more expensive?
The Histories
Psychotherapy: Freud + Recovery from serious personal
problems
Counseling: Out of guidance movement, which was/is about
helping people with choosing or decision making
Counselor vs. client
Therapist vs. patient/client
Homework
List down TWO
examples of cases to differentiate between Counseling and Psychotherapy.
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