Counselling & psychotherapy -
what’s the difference?
There is no clear distinction between these two related therapies — rather there is a broad overlap.
Counselling is short term while psychotherapy is long term — right?
Not necessarily. While many counsellors do work short term, especially in agency settings, some see clients over extended periods. And some psychotherapists work to a short term model.
Counselling deals with specific issues, while psychotherapy explores life-patterns in general — right?
While it is true that counselling may focus more on specific issues, so sometimes does psychotherapy, and some counsellors work primarily with underlying life patterns.
Counsellors deal with present day issues while psycho-therapists are interested in the past — right?
Not necessarily. While many counsellors help clients address present day issues, psychodynamic counsellors work with patterns formed early in life. And gestalt psychotherapists focus mainly on the present experience, exploring the past only when it is still present.
Psychotherapy costs more than counselling — right?
A psychotherapy training is longer than a counselling one, and this may be reflected in fee rates. But in my area some psychotherapists charge less than some counsellors.
OK — so what is the difference?
The clearest distinction is in the training. A counselling training usually involves three taught years and a period in practice - say four years, although some take longer. Some psychotherapy trainings follow on after a counselling training, while others are alternatives. A psychotherapist will have trained for at least four taught years and a more extended period in practice - over at least six years and often eight or more. And during this training period trainees will have been in their own personal therapy. So psychotherapists will have experienced a longer period of training and probably a longer time in their own therapy. This is bound to have an impact on their work — perhaps the length of time they see clients and also the depth at which they work.
Another distinction is that psychotherapists are required to have some experience of working with the psychiatric services. This is not a requirement of counselling trainings, although some counsellors do have such experience.
Another difference is in the organisation of the two professions. The main professional body for counsellors in the UK is the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), formerly the British Association for Counselling. The main professional body for psychotherapists in the UK is the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). In 2006 the UKCP created a new division for psychotherapeutic counselling (for counsellors who work in a psychotherapeutic way with the therapeutic relationship central to their work) and has opened a register for counsellors who meet the entry requirements.