What is Counselling and Psychotherapy

What is Counselling and Psychotherapy

Many times when we see some person’s behaviour different and annoying than others like being too angry or depressed, we tell him or her to consult a counsellor or psychotherapist.

But before that let’s ask ourselves, “what is this profession about? “

Counselling and psychotherapy are two different areas dealing with the mental health and they have similarities and differences as well.  We can think counselling as a first step.

What is Counselling

               A series of  skillful conversations between you and your guide focussing on your specific    problem and methods to address it and resolve it .

Counselling known as a talk therapy or say resolving certain mental issues by way of communication, some techniques. By way of counselling the client is made to reveal basic distressing issues to receive support to adjust to day-to-day life in an efficient way.

Counselling provides therapeutic approach to overcome emotional and behavioural blockages for a better life.

Counselling deals with the clients who can think rationally and have coping skills to resolve their issues with little supporting hands.

Counselling is just a part of it and a short-term process while psychotherapy is a long-term process from gaining insights into past symptoms, root cause to the use of techniques and tools to bring clients soul and mind to realize themselves that who they are. It clears all confusions, all negative feelings, self believes and external simulations.

Counselling often targets a singular problem and gives guidance to client to deal with the situation. Say for example you can get education counsellor, relationship counsellor, marriage counsellor, addiction removal counsellor etc., They will guide you how to behave to get most out of any situation in case of a marriage and relationship counselling. They will guide you to select best education and career suitable for you in case of education and career counselling.

Counsellor is not advisor but trained advisor

Though advising and counselling are often termed as similar but not. Advising is the solutions given by others, while a counsellor make you sail through your innerspace and to find your own solutions and your own steps and that’s why it’s a custom designed talk therapy for you. Counselling concentrates on present not past.

What is Psychotherapy

Now what is psychotherapy then?

Psychotherapy is an approach digging deep into the past issues of client a tool to become aware of root cause of the problem being accumulated over the years. Psychotherapy is an evolutionary process to deal with chronic issues and focusses onto the clients thought process.

Psychotherapy helps clients to gain control over their personalities. These people in need of psychotherapy need it periodically with breakthrough conditions. It’s a very vast area of treating people mentally in depression, sadness, anger, stress, and trauma and so on and so more. The subject has well laid out concepts, theories, techniques and tools.

Counsellor is not Psychotherapist

These two terms are almost everywhere understood similar and used interchangeably but are not.Psychotheray also contains a series of meeting often for a longer duaration between client and therapist. Psychotherapist see through the problem in wider vision, the overall pattern and reason of mental issues, chronic issues exploring the past history also and its impact on present. It digs deepdown in your psyche.

Time to go for mental well being

If you are dealing with depression, agitation, anxiety, stress, family and relationship issues, or feeling traumatic in certain situations or always, it’s time to seek a counsellor or psychotherapist depending upon situation.

Before you choose between pshchotherapy and psychological counselling, you need to focus on the differences between Psychological Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Key Differences between Psychotherapy and Counselling

Counselling:

• Helps people identify problems and crises and encourages them to take positive steps to resolve these issues. Works with conscious processes and thoughts
• It is the best course of therapeutic treatment for anyone who already has an understanding of wellbeing, and who is also able to resolve problems.
• Counselling is a short-term process that encourages the change of behaviour.Might be focused on one particular difficulty which is
  caused by current circumstances. Helps with more surface type difficulties and
  current problems. Emphasis on current difficulties
• Less in depth training with a possible area of specialism.

Psychotherapy:

• Helps people with psychological problems that have built up over the course of a long period of time. Focused on a number of difficulties originating
  from past and present life story. Works with the conscious, subconscious and unconscious processes and thoughts. Focused on a number of difficulties originating
  from past and present life story
• It will help you understand your feelings, thoughts and actions more clearly.
• Psychotherapy is a longer-term process of treatment that identifies emotional issues and the background to problems and difficulties.
• Extensive training with personal development component and possible psychiatric placement with areas of specialism Psychotherapy helps with current and past difficulties which require in depth processing and psyche changes

There are similarities too          

There are many similarities between counseling and psychotherapy, and even with the distinction, counseling often includes some psychotherapy and psychotherapy often includes some counseling. Similarities include:

• Development of a healing, safe, and therapeutic relationship between a therapist and an individual
• Effectiveness for a wide range of people, both adults and children
• Understanding a person’s feelings and behaviors, and addressing issues with the goal of improving a person’s life

Example

• Now an example for counselling and psychotherapy, suppose a person is passing through depression due to the loss of nearest one, only proper counselling can help him to regain him. But the person is passing through some trauma say seeing his house and people being burnt into fire and has fear of fire it will be a long process to deal with and psychotherapists will have to help.
• Another important point. A psychotherapist holds medical education and treats patients with the help of drugs tool and techniques.

When to visit a Counsellor or psychotherapist

First let us note down our problem. Ask yourself the following questions:

# Do you feel confused state of mind?
# Unhappy about being always indecisive or uncertain?
# Always avoiding people or certain places too often without any reason?
# Do you feel eating and sleeping pattern change or disorder?
# You feel agitated?
# Always feeling low?
# You find yourself in hyperactive state of mind?

Choose Between Counselling & Psychotherapy?

Counseling may be a better option in case of:

• Your specific issues or short term problems you wish to address
• You wish to learn coping skills to help better manage stress and improve relationships
• You are coping with life transitions and adjustments, such as divorce or grief
• You have to cope with addiction issues
• You feel the need for someone who is essentially a “coach” who can guide and support you as you learn to recognize problems and find healthy solutions yourself

But a  psychotherapist may be a better option if

• Your problems are seriously having a great impact on  your life and relationships
• You are troubled with past trauma
• Your present issues are chronic or recurring concerns
• You have a chronic medical condition (such as autoimmune disease, cancer, etc.) that is affecting your emotional well-being
• You have a diagnosed mental health condition such bipolar disorder or a major anxiety disorder
• You have seen a counselor and your issues aren’t improving even though you’ve been actively working on solutions

Before Meeting with a Counsellor or Therapist

It’s good to do  some llttle homework to make yourself and counsellor both to clarify the type of help required.

• Note down any issues, concerns, or symptoms you are coping with, even if they seem to be unrelated or are not the reason why you are seeking therapy
• Major anxiety,stress or recent life changes
• All medications, vitamins or other supplements that you’re taking, including doses
• List down questions to ask .

Counselling: Definition and Format

Counselling sessions take place in a format suitable to the particular case. Diiferent formats can be as Individual or  Group Counselling.Individual Counselling: A format based on one to one conversation either on

Online or telephonic

Through Email

Face to Face

Group Counselling:  You can join the sessions where similar problems are addressed and you can be part of a network and will get a strong support either online or in a big gatherings, seminars etc.

Techniques of Counselling:

Collecting complete information about the client related with their motives ,experience, weaknesses, and strengths, atitudes and behaviour before counselling is paramount to effective counselling.

Following are the techniques of Counselling:

• Releasing Emotional Tension:
• Effective communication
• Clarified Thinking
• Performance Counselling
• Counselling Against Alcoholism and Drug

Different Types of Counselling:

• Directive Counselling:
• Non Directive Counselling:
• Cooperative Counselling:
• Marital and Family Counselling:

Different Areas in which counselling is being done

• Rehabilitation Counselling

Helps people in their emotional and physical disabilities to make them live more independently and is a process to evaluate the strength and limitations of the patients to help them live more and more independently. Even arranging some type of employment for them.

• Educational Counselling

Helps students choose right career path according to t heir potential and helps them to come out of dilemma of choosing right for them.

• Mental Health Counselling

Helps people to maintain and improve and correct the mental well being of the client . Some of the examples of mental illnesses are depression, PTSD, ADHD, Bipolar disorder, and more. This type of counselling tries to resolve the issues generated by mental condition of client for a mentally healthier life.

• Marriage and Family Counselling

This helps couples resolve their issues and differences. Some of major cause for the differences in between couples regarding their relationship are lack of effective communication apart fro other issues like finance , bad habits, intimacy etc.

• Substance Abuse Counselling

Not only refers to getting rid of drug addiction and alcohol  but also to eating disorder or oter behaioural problem like gambling addiction.

Some of the problems that need counselling

1.Low self esteem considering oneself incompetent compared to others

2. Drug Addiction and Drinking Habits

3.Disturbed family life

4. Mental worries

How not to fall for mental sickness

Swot analysis is method to recognise your strength, weaknesses and the resource and risks to face. Do your SWOT analysis and you will never fall to depression.  A proper SWOT analysis of yourself is a sure path of your success as it will prevent any trouble , frustration, depression, bad habits, drug addiction and you will nevere require any counselling.

Strength

You need to know the areas of action you feel more competent, knowledgeable more able , skillful, experienced, right attitude techniques and methods.

Weaknesses:

You need to analyse your  weakness to convert it to strength. You can take help of discussions, advice, reading, other corrective measures to improve upon your weakness.

Opportunities:

You need to grab opportunities available and must know your competencies.

Types of psychotherapy 

 It consists of 4 major approaches:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Psychodynamic Therapy.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Humanistic/Experiential Therapy.

The counselling process involves skills of

• Building a Warm Relationship 
• Analysis and setting the Goal
• Plan of Action 
• Good Communication and Effective listening
• Overcoming the Problem 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

You will have to approach right therapy for the particular issues and below is quick guide explaining types of psychotherapy to help you to recognise right place.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)

This works with the patient’s underlying thought pattern  causing unhealthy, unproductive or incapacitating behaviour. It’s a short term , goal-oriented  therapeutic approach. People suffering from anxiety, depression.stress bad habits and addictions such as smoking, eating disorder or gambling.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY

It makes you understand your mental processes and emotions more deeply to help you make better choices , improving relationships , become happier and satisfied.

It’s a form of communicative therapy which makes people open up about their thoughts and behaviour. Patients are encouraged to talk  anything on their mind.

it can be used to treat a variety of mental health problems.

• Depression1
• Eating disorders
• Interpersonal problems
• Psychological distress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Social anxiety disorder2
• Substance use disorders
• Anxiety

DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT)

This treatment also is a form of Cognitive behaviour therapy(CBT) for people having more intense emotions rather than for CBT. It helps people to accept realities and their behaviour pattern to change their life.

DBT has proven to be effective for treating and managing a wide range of mental health conditions, including:

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD).
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Self-harm.
• Suicidal behavior.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Substance use disorder.
• Eating disorders, specifically binge eating disorder and bulimia.

HUMANISTIC/EXPERIENTIAL THERAPY

This approach focusses on a person;s true self not the particular symtoms.This helps in developing self-acceptance and overcome criticism and denial by others.It makes people to work towards personal growth. It’s a client centered approach.

It has been found that it is helpful for

• psychosis
• depression
• trauma
• relationship difficulties
• coping with chronic health issues

But it was not found as effective as  therapy by cognitive behavioural technique for anxiety and panic disorder.

 

Mental health training for your employees

To avoid negative mental traits in your employees  and to maintain their mental well being,  you need to develop effective strategies at the workplace.

Some of the important steps you can follow is listed below.

• Discussion while walking

To cut some time from desks it is good to do it while walking to to do work and refreshment of your mind at the same time.

• Listen to music           

Listening to music  is wonderful medicine affecting deeply your mental health in most positive way.

• Schedule small breaks

Small breaks in between for a small walk, your favourite piece of music or your favourite tea time snack proved great.

• Update your environment

Making your diskspace presentable and decorated with small artwork like pictures toys etc., bring joy in your workplace.

• Do a puzzle

Puzzles like sudoku, crosswords are great for mental refreshments.

• Step away from screens
• Cutting off your screen time from mobile and computers also proves good.
• Encourage lunch breaks away from work areasEnjoy sometime for a meal out of your work areas.
• Stop criticizing yourself
• Never opt to undervalue yourself and your employees and stop generating negative feelings
• Celebrate accomplishments
• Acknowledge the good work by you or your team and enjoy the positivity.