There is no clear distinction between Counselling and Psychotherapy; both are talking therapies that allow people to explore their feelings and emotions and the effect they have on their lives.
Counselling might be best for clients with everyday problems while psychotherapy might be more appropriate for clients with severe or acute symptoms. In reality, however, many clients are likely to receive a blend.
Clients have many different reasons for coming to Counselling. Often, clients encounter distressing or stressful experiences or situations which they’d like to talk about in a safe setting. Distressing or stressful experiences might include present circumstances of bereavement, separation, or other major life transitions, or experiences from the past, such as in childhood.
Some seek Counselling to help them deal with specific psychological or behavioural traits which they’d like to alter, such as compulsive thoughts or difficulties relating to other people.
Others seek Counselling to help them explore a general feeling that their lives are not quite right, or to cope with feelings of depression or anxiety.
Still others look to Counseling as part of their effort to discover or create meaning in their lives. Many people are attracted to Counselling as an opportunity to undertake personal development in a safe and supportive environment: it is not always necessary to have a ‘problem’ to find counseling useful.
Counselling for depression helps and supports people who are suffering from feelings of unhappiness, sadness and distress. These negative feelings may come and go, they may be constant and they may become serious.
