Counselling FAQ
What is Counselling?
Although Counselling and Psychotherapy overlap considerably, there are also recognised differences. While the work of Counsellors and Psychotherapists with clients may be of considerable depth, the focus of Counselling is more likely to be on specific problems, changes in life adjustments and fostering clients’ wellbeing. Psychotherapy is more concerned with the restructuring of the personality or self and the development of insight.
Professional counseling is an activity whose goal is to improve the quality of life of clients, supporting their strengths and abilities for self-determination. Counseling provides a space for listening and reflection, in which clients may explore problems related to evolutionary processes, phase transitions, and states of crisis and strengthens the capacity of clients to choose or change.
Counseling is an intervention that uses various methods borrowed from different theoretical orientations. It caters to individuals, families, groups, and institutions. Counseling can be provided in various settings such as private practice, education, health, business.
How is it different from Psychotherapy?
Counselling
A “Counsellor” is also commonly known as an “Advisor”. Counselling consultation is short-term (a few weeks to a few months), and deals with present issues that are easily resolved on the conscious level. In other words, counselling is more concerned with practical or immediate issues and outcomes. Counselling normally helps a client process powerful emotions such as grief or anger, deal with immediate causes of stress and anxiety, clarify values and identify options when making important personal or professional decisions, manage conflicts within relationships, develop better interpersonal and communication skills, or intentionally change unproductive thoughts and behaviours.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, typically deals with longer-term treatment (more than 3 months to even 10 years) that focuses more on gaining insight into chronic physical and emotional problems. Psychotherapy intensively and extensively examines a person’s psychological history, and goes much deeper to uncover the root causes of problems. People with chronic, severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and etc might benefit most from psychotherapy.
What does a typical Group Counselling Session Look like?
Although group counselling methodologies vary greatly depending on the counsellor, typically I facilitate group counselling like this:
Meet twice per month, 60 minute sessions. Session structure:
Check in round (15 minutes)
Address top challenges (15 minutes)
Skill lesson (include a made up simple case study as an example) (15 minutes)
Discussion of practical application to each client’s situation (15 minutes)