Psychotherapy, Counselling and Analysis 

No claim is made to cure any medical condition. Complementary health assistance must be with medical doctor's permission and following the client consulting a medical doctor.

Psychotherapy, Counselling and Analysis

The first thing to point out is that there is no universally accepted definition of what these are. Indeed there is no agreement as to whether they constitute the same thing or different therapies. This is increased as a problem in definitions when you consider that most therapists use a number of different styles and modalities according to their own style and practice. This further confuses the issue and muddies any boundaries when looking for clear definitions.

This webpage is not meant to be a clinical set of definitions, rather a layperson's guide - therefore I have tried to keep it simple and avoid terminology which might "switch off" many readers. Experts then please forgive the lack of depth in the definitions given.

What is counselling?

The main query here is dependent on the style of the counsellor and indeed what context the counsellor works. For example a counsellor in private practice might use any number of methods. A Pastoral Counsellor might be biased towards spiritual and religion based counselling. A Work place counsellor may well concentrate o specific issues resulting from the work place. A Stress Counsellor may concentrate on debriefing and coping skills, a rape counsellor on specific issues and debriefing and support, an addictions counsellor on education or motivational change. The list goes on...... Then you have to consider the role of informal counselling as part of other jobs. Many support workers and care workers, pastors, nurses, doctors and other professionals provide counselling as an adjunct to their existing duties. This might be a formal part of the process or just something that happens as a matter of course in supporting clients or colleagues.

Many therapists who call themselves hypnotherapists, psychotherapists, healers, psychics and so forth also use similar skills in their work, often using formal or informal counselling as part of the helping or healing process.

A "Counsellor" then is not an easy thing to define. Many of use are counsellors to our family and friends, often with no training at all. Many other professionals have "Counsellor" as part of their role too.

Some types of "Counsellor"

A Private counsellor is typically someone you consult when your natural support networks (the people you lean on in family and friendship) can't seem to help you through your problems. A counsellor is expected to assist you in a more thorough way, enabling change using their professional knowledge and skills. Frequently such a counsellor will deal with both short term survival matters (getting through a crisis) and longer term matters that may take considerable periods of time to resolve. This might include recovering from a dysfunction (e.g. unhappy / violent / abusive) childhood, bad relationships or similar problems that went on for a long time, or traumatic events - the effects of which went on for a long time. Depending on issues and style, the relationship between client and therapist might last from weeks to years.

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What is psychotherapy?

Many people question whether there is a difference between counselling and psychotherapy. Others question what psychotherapy is anyway. Certain models like Gestallt (which looks at life patterns), Transactional analysis (looking at roles and personalities), psychoanalysis (looking in real depth at the unconscious) are respected as definite forms of psychotherapy. Others models like Neuro-linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy are sometimes classes as psychotherapy, sometimes as separate therapies. Analysis is usually considered to be psychoanalysis, a form of psychotherapy. Often people talk in terms of the theory being split into psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioural.

Are there any differences between Psychotherapy and Counselling?

As mentioned - there is no clear answer with many people taking sides. I will therefore describe what the difference is in MY practice. This is not saying that these differences are the same elsewhere (before I get a flood of emails!!). This is just how it is for ME.

Counselling - Client centred process in which the client is given space to talk, encouraged to go over certain issues that they bring up in more depth. Certain methods such as reflection and summary are used to give the client chance to look at what they have described from a new perspective. This often enables clients to understand themselves better and begin to realise WHY certain things have or are happening in their lives, whether emotional or actual. The counsellor speaks very little and gives the client plenty of space to offload and talk themselves into self-knowledge. The environment is safe, confidential and non judgemental. It is a process of self-discovery for the client, with the counsellor along for the ride, not as a tour guide, but as a little voice reminding the client where they have chosen to go. This process is well suited for clients who find it fairly easy to speak and may have been denied the chance in the past.

Psychotherapy - far more directed by the counsellor. Suited very much to the client who finds it hard to "open up" and sincerely does not know where to start. The client is led to discuss or talk about specific issues which the therapist feels are possibly linked to the case. As the client becomes more able and used to talking, the process may change in to a more client centred approach. Alternatively the process may home in on those areas shown as of critical importance by the analysis so far. Methods such as topic association, hypno-analysis, regression and self-assessment are used in my practice.

Pastoral / Spiritual / Psychic counselling - only used where appropriate. Where the client asks for one of these then I use the model most suited to their personal culture and belief system. Even then I may use a fair amount of counselling and psychotherapy as well.

Coping Skills Training - especially in cases of Stress management, Addictions, False - Roles (copying others and falling into negative roles or patterns), co-dependence or poor lifestyle -- I use self-help coping skills training. This involves looking at life patterns and working on them. The client is encouraged to develop in career, social life, relationships, health, exercise and spiritual matters and to gain a far more holistically healthy life. Handout outs and "homework" are frequently used. Practitioners using these methods frequently call themselves "Life coaches", "Teaching Therapists", "Motivators" or other types of "Consultant".

Note - many if not most therapists use combinations of techniques and methods. It is important that the following are carried out:

1. An Assessment to ascertain whether the therapist can help you / have a good chance of helping you

2. That the therapist does not lead you to believe in some sort of magic cure and that you realise that they are there to help you change yourself.

3. That you have explained to you what is proposed before the therapy commences so that you are giving informed consent to the therapy.

4. That any person under 16 years has a parents permission and signature.

5. That confidentiality is discussed and the therapist's position is made clear.

6. That the therapist is registered, insured and monitored.

 Please note that at the time of writing (2007) work is in progress to complete the first stage towards statutory regulation of all counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists. This first stage is the writing of a new set of National Occupational Standards for "Psychological therapies". Although we support this in principle, there is a concern that this development may lead to a restriction on therapists combining other therapies with these "psychological therapies". If it transpires that we are unable to continue in our flexible and holistic approach to combined use of therapies, we will cease using the titles of "psychotherapist," and "counsellor", and instead use the terms "Life Coach" and "holistic therapist", refering to the former as "using counselling and psychotherapy skills". We will of course continue to adhere to appropriate National Occupational Standards in this event, including NOS Hypnotherapy and NOS Healing.

Recommended organisations through which to find a therapist: HERE

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Humanistic Psychotherapy and person centred counselling

Spiritual and Pastoral counselling

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Psychic Counsellor:

Although often considered weird or untrustworthy, many psychic counsellors are indeed very professional. The works of the great Carl Jung were intimately connected to the theories of paranormal and spiritual elements in consciousness and unconsciousness. Also many "normal" counsellors also use a degree of psychic intuition in their work without advertising the fact, or perhaps even realising it themselves. There is a certain "calling" that many counsellors and therapists feel which draws them into wanting to help others, and perhaps that is related to this esoterical / spiritual side.

Educational / Workplace / School Counsellor

All of these, although concerned with general counselling issues and the well-being of the client, have a mandate to look at the specific environment they are working in. A counsellor at a school for example who counselled a school kid to "not worry about your lessons and drop out" might be considered negatively! (not that a private counsellor is too likely to counsel this either - it is an extreme example!).

Crisis Counsellors - rape / violence / abuse

Often short term crisis intervention. In other words they enable survival of the crisis that occurs after the event such as a rape. The objective is to help you through the worst period so that you have time to get yourself on a stable footing. It is not unusually long term.

Audio Therapy Tapes

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Phone Counselling (UK)

 Key Words:

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