What is the difference between guidance counselling and psychotherapy

It is important to note that guidance happens with someone who is more experienced and someone who has lesser experience on the related issue. Counselling refers to the professional advice given by a counsellor based on personal or psychology related problems of the individuals.

In brief, counselling is a form of psychological guidance for an individual. Therefore, unlike general guidance one can receive, counselling is mostly meant to help people deal with their mental issues. Similarly, to become a professional counsellor, one should have extensive academic knowledge and training in the field of psychology and a natural predisposition to help people. A counsellor directly deals with someone who needs the psychological assistance to alleviate his living condition.

Figure 2: Counselling is very helpful to overcome stress and other psychological issues. Moreover, since counselling aims at treating and rehabilitating disordered mental patients, it encompasses extensive fields such as research in order to provide the most accurate psychological supervision, training, and direction to the patients or individuals with psychological issues.

Thus, unlike guidance, counselling is more therapeutic nature. Guidance is the advice or instructions on general problems, given by someone more experienced or qualified while counselling specifically is the professional advice given by a counsellor based on personal or psychology related problems of the individuals. This explains the underlying basis of the difference between guidance and counselling. Scope is another important difference between guidance and counselling.

Guidance has a broader scope such as educational guidance, career guidance, financial guidance, health guidance etc. On the other hand, counselling essentially covers personal and psychological assistance. Search for a counsellor or psychologist in your local area. As Seen On. Your payment is being processed, thank you for your patience! In other words, psychotherapy addresses the root cause and core issues of current problems so that lasting change and personal growth may occur.

There are several different types of therapy that fall under the general heading of psychotherapy, including approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy , dialectical behavior therapy , psychoanalytic psychotherapy , and much more. 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:. While mental health professionals with more advanced degrees eg. There are some key differences between the providers, however.

Guidance, support, and education to help people identify and find their own solutions to current problems. May include testing such as personality, intelligence , talk therapy, other therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy. When choosing a therapist, it's helpful to learn about the differences noted above, as well as the background of specific providers and the approaches they use.

Sometimes the choice will come down to personal preferences, access, or insurance coverage. The most important step, however, is to find a therapist you can trust. In fact, the level of trust a person has in their mental health care practitioner plays the greatest role in whether the therapy will be successful or not.

You may actually need to talk with a provider or visit for a few appointments before you know which type of therapy is best for you. For example, with some situations it can be difficult to know if it is a short term, a limited problem you are facing and thus, may fall under conditions best treated with counseling , or if instead there are events or situations in your past that are leading to the current problem. Counseling may be a better option than psychotherapy if:.

A psychotherapist may be a better option if:. Both counseling and psychotherapy are used in the treatment of depression , and the choice can depend on the severity of the depression, whether it is a new issue for you or rather an ongoing or recurrent problem and more. As far as the effectiveness of the two approaches, a study found that counseling was just as effective for the treatment of previously untreated mild to moderate depression diagnosed in primary care.

Another study, however, found that interpersonal psychotherapy was somewhat more beneficial than counseling in adolescents with depression, with respect to both symptoms, and overall functioning over the short-term. People with chronic, severe depression might benefit most from psychotherapy, whereas people with mild to moderate depression may benefit most from developing a good relationship with a therapist based on mutual trust, and then talking with them about which approach would be most helpful.

Whether you choose to see a counselor or a psychotherapist, your initial appointment will likely be more rewarding if you do a little homework ahead of time. Doing so will not only help you clarify why you are seeking professional help but will help the provider you see know whether she believes she will be able to help you or not. Before your appointment, make a list of:.

Get our printable guide to help you ask the right questions at your next doctor's appointment. There are some reasons why you may wish to choose a counselor instead of a psychotherapist, or vice versa, but the most important step is getting started.

It can take some time to find a therapist who you fully trust, and you may need to visit a few providers before you find the right fit. Keep in mind that you are the consumer, and it's OK to shop around. Personalities differ, and the best therapist for someone else may not be the right therapist for you.

Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Get our free guide when you sign up for our newsletter. American Psychological Association.