Mental health plays a vital role in our daily well-being, yet many feel unsure where to turn for support. Understanding the key differences between a counsellor and a therapist can empower you to make the best choice for your mental health journey.
Here is the list of major differences between therapy and counselling:
Aspects | Counselling | Therapy |
Focus | It primarily focuses on recent, specific problems and challenges. | It addresses complex and deeper emotional and psychological issues, like behaviour and underlying beliefs. |
Duration | Generally, counselling is short-term and ranges from a few weeks to a few months. | It might be long-term, lasting months or even years, as it is conducted to address the root causes of any problems. |
Goal | Counselling helps individuals develop their management and problem-solving skills to address immediate difficulties. | Therapy helps clients gain a deeper understanding of themselves, change ingrained patterns, and achieve significant personal growth. |
Examples | It is done to address any kind of relationship difficulties, job stress, or any recent loss. | It addresses anxiety, depression, and PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). |
Different types of psychotherapies are available, which can help in addressing different psychological or mental issues.
Here are the different types of therapies:
This counselling approach focuses on investigating an individual’s thoughts, behaviours, and feelings. During the procedure, a therapist actively works with the individual to reveal unhealthy patterns and the ways they are causing self-destructive behaviours and then changes those horrendous behaviours and thinking styles.
Therapists analyse the interpersonal relationships of the client with others and their perceptions towards them. It usually aims to improve the individual’s interpersonal skills. Understanding the interpersonal relationships of the individual can alleviate symptoms of mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety.
Psychodynamic therapy aims at making individuals aware of their unconscious thoughts and feelings that are causing disorders like poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and relationship difficulties. The major goal of this counselling approach is to improve how an individual feels about themself and how they can cope with stress or anxiety.
It helps individuals to understand and perceive their feelings and consider the feelings of others. Collectively, it focuses on improving the skills of mentalising in individuals suffering from conditions such as trauma or anxiety.
Different types of health professionals can provide various types of psychotherapies:
Counselling offers short-term, solutions-focused support for immediate challenges like stress or relationships, while therapy addresses long-term emotional patterns, trauma, and diagnosed mental health conditions through deeper exploration. Both provide safe, evidence-based care, but therapy’s in-depth approach targets root causes, whereas counselling equips practical coping strategies.