Therapy & Counseling

 

Understanding the Difference Between Therapy and Counseling

 

What is the Difference Between Therapy and Counseling?

This is a common question that often goes unanswered. The terms «counseling,» «therapy,» and «psychotherapy» have evolved from different traditions within the helping professions. Historically, these terms indicated distinct roles:

  • Therapists and psychotherapists traditionally focused on treating mental health issues.
  • Counselors typically addressed career guidance and personal development. 
    However, over the past fifty years, the professionalization and standardization of practices in the mental health field have blurred these distinctions. Today, the differences between these roles are more about tradition and regional culture than specific practices or approaches.

Modern Practices in Mental Health
In contemporary practice, both therapy and counseling involve a combination of healing and personal development. Whether someone is referred to as a therapist, counselor, psychologist, social worker, or family therapist, the essential goal is to provide support and facilitate positive change in the person’s life.

Unified Standards and Principles
Regardless of the specific title, licensed mental health professionals use shared principles, scientific knowledge, and standardized techniques to help clients. These professionals are trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches and are equipped to address a wide range of issues, from mental health disorders to personal growth and relationship challenges.

 

Key Considerations

  • Licensing and Credentials: It’s crucial to ensure that your chosen professional is licensed and credentialed in their field. This ensures they have met the necessary education and training standards.
  • Approach and Specialization: Professionals may have different specializations or therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, or humanistic therapy. Understanding these can help you choose a professional who aligns with your specific needs.

See more info about Therapy. 
See more info about Counseling.

Please contact me with any questions.
Alejandro
+54911-4414-6364
[email protected]

A bit about Counseling and Therapy

There is solid evidence that quality therapy and counseling are effective. They are more effective than placebo. Effectiveness is context and situation dependent.

A main factor in successful therapy is the quality of the relationship between the therapist or counselor and client or patient. Trust, hope, warmth, availability, responsiveness, and perceived honest care make the client-therapist relationship work.

Therapists and Counselors are caring, empathic, aware, attentive, and supportive.
The relationship is a collaboration that values and empowers the uniqueness of the client.
Providers keep high ethical standards at all times and make the relationship fully focused on benefiting the client.

Providers consult with experienced colleagues, supervise and seek consultation with a specialist when necessary, train, and maintain ongoing professional development.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Both counselors and therapists can diagnose and treat mental health conditions, including: anxiety, depression, personality disorders, attention deficits, trauma, phobias, mood disorders, addictions, conditions impacting function.

The goals of treatment include relief, healing, improving functioning, and strengthening resources.
Priorities are set to bring relief, care for immediate needs, improve functioning, and activate available and new resources.
A person can be healthy and functional and have specific areas of symptoms or distress to treat.
Clients can be called «patients».

Treatment ends when goals have been met and both provider and client/patient agree that the counseling or therapy is no longer needed.

 

Focused Counseling

Usually short-term, with emphasis on problem solving and practical counseling interventions.

Based on learning and practice for skill development. Some counseling interventions include: Situational analysis, solution-focused understandings, action plans, decision making, motivational analysis, behavioral activation, and in-between-session homework

Few sessions. Short term.

Couples Counseling

Helps partners understand their situation from new perspectives. Attends to cross-cultural and personal differences.

Creates conditions for safe and positive dialogue, to help develop trust and motivation to work together.

Goals are set to address very defined issues, while helping partners understand processes and their relationship dynamics.

Teaches skills and motivates partners to try new attitudes, cognitions, behaviors, and ways of relating.

Helps create options that respects and integrates individual preferences.
In bicultural couples, cultural sensitivity and competency help members appreciate differences.

Family Therapy

Helps members speak safely and constructively.
Assesses level of functioning and group needs.
Helps family members understand family dynamics.
Promotes positive boundaries.
Uses techniques to create new ways family dynamics.
Helps members recognize differences and appreciate diversity within the family.
Facilitates plans for the future.

Personal Change

Therapy, psychotherapy, and counseling are all designed to support intentional change.

We may experience clear, unclear, ambivalent, and contradictory motives to change. 

The role of therapy can be to help the client clarify and define the type of personal change to seek through sessions.

We define initial goals, assess, plan together, start intentional change, assess again, create new understandings and possibilities for behaviors and experiences.

We can change. There are limits. We can also create, adapt, accept, and find wisdoms that will help us improve our quality of life.

Expat Life

Life abroad presents unique challenges. It also offers unique opportunities for positive personal transformations.

Psychotherapy in English, by a culturally sensitive clinician, can offer conditions of familiarity, ease, and resonance that will facilitate being understood and the experience of support.

"Wherever you go, there you are" says the wisdom. After a period of novelty, it is normal to repeat problematic behaviors, cognitive patterns, emotional experiences, and relationship dynamics, in the local environment. Psychological help aims to support people in understanding such patterns and finding ways of transforming them.

Regardless your level of rootedness: local, migrant, expat, digital nomad, my therapy approach makes it a priority to attend to biological, psychological, and social nourishment. "Psychobiosocial care", I call it. We call it. I'll be delighted to tell you more about it when we speak.

Issues Addressed

Because psychotherapy, therapy, counseling, and psychological care help people address their concerns, in the context of their real lives, the topics and issues brought to sessions are extensive. Here is a VERY short list of common issues brought to sessions:

Cultural shock. Self-doubt. Fear of rejection. Decision uncertainty. Lack of concentration. Isolation. Physical pain. Relationship problems. Longing for home. Work stress.

Distressing fears. Difficulty planning. Uncertainty about the future. Social anxiety. Challenges creating a narrative about self. Anger. Symptoms, specially anxiety and depression. Adjustment difficulties. Needing a change. Wanting support creating new solutions to old problems. Getting unstock.