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Common Questions
What is the difference between counseling and psychotherapy?
Counseling and psychotherapy are terms that are often used interchangeably. Although they are very similar, there are some subtle differences as well.
Counseling focuses on specific issues and helps a person identify and address a particular problem such as addiction, anger or stress. Problems are discussed in the present-tense, without too much attention on the role of past experiences. The focus is to identify problems, set realistic goals, and develop skills in problem solving, coping, and interpersonal relations. Counselors guide a person to discover their own answers and support them through the actions they choose to take. Counseling is usually more short-term than therapy.
Psychotherapy or therapy for short is often longer in duration than counseling and instead of narrowing in on individual problems places focus on a broader range of issues related to overall thought processes, patterns of thinking, chronic issues and recurrent feelings. Psychotherapy requires an openness to exploring the past and its impact on the present with the aim of resolving underlying issues which fuel ongoing complaints. The underlying principle is that a person's pattern of thinking and subconscious awareness affect the way that person interacts within the world. The goal is to uncover patterns, become aware of their effect and learn new healthier ways to think and interact. Psychotherapy is a more intensive process that promotes emotional awareness and psychological development.
Most of the time, counseling and psychotherapy refer to the same thing. In all probability, there is some counseling and psychotherapy intermittently taking place in the course of any single therapeutic session.
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