Counselling and Psychotherapy
Counselling and Psychotherapy are both forms of treatment for psychological distress. They are sometimes referred to as ‘talking cures,’ because they are based on dialogue between the client (or clients) and the practitioner. Indeed, the quality of this relationship is central to the success of the work. It offers a useful reflection on how the client builds relationships generally, and also becomes a testing ground for any changes or developments that are needed. Human beings are an intensely social species, and many of our emotional problems are caused by a lack of key inner resources that we entirely depend on successful relationships to provide us with—such as love, trust, security and a sense of self-worth.
There is no hard and fast distinction between Counselling and Psychotherapy, though Counselling is generally understood to be shorter-term, where the client will be addressing specific issues or life events, such as bereavement, redundancy or coming to terms with unexpected or traumatic change. Psychotherapy usually involves a longer-term commitment and is aimed at uncovering deeper influences, often from childhood, that have made us what we are. The expanded self-awareness that comes of these explorations gives a wider choice of how to relate, and often transforms or eradicates self-defeating beliefs and behaviour patterns.
So how does it work? Because so much hinges on the client-practitioner relationship, and because no two relationships are the same, it’s very hard to describe specifically ‘what happens’ in the consulting room. However, a health charity in Dorset asked me to take up the challenge of answering this difficult question. Click here if you would like to read an edited version of the article I wrote for them.
In my practice I offer weekly or twice-weekly sessions that last 50 minutes for individuals and an hour for couples. Click here if you would like to see the terms on which I see individuals, and here the terms for couples.