Before you decide to attend therapy, you may be wondering what therapy means and involves. You may also be wondering about various terms that are often used interchangeably. Here are some explanations about what counselling and psychotherapy mean and what it means to use an integrative approach.
Counselling
Counselling is a process that allows individuals to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a safe, non-judgmental space. Counselling addresses life challenges that someone may be experiencing, such as relationship issues, bereavement, or work-related issues. Exploring these challenges with a counsellor may help an individual to navigate them through gaining an insight into their situation, reflecting on their thoughts and feelings surrounding the situation, and developing strategies to address or cope with them.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, which may also be referred to as ‘talk therapy’ or just ‘therapy’, is a form of treatment aimed at relieving or alleviating emotional distress relating to specific mental health issues. Psychotherapy may be used to explore the roots of emotional and psychological difficulties, focusing on underlying causes and patterns, and helping an individual to create lasting change and growth by addressing traumas, beliefs, and behaviours.
Integrative Approach
The terms ‘counselling’ and ‘psychotherapy’ are often used together or interchangeably due to the high degree of overlap between them. Additionally, counsellors and psychotherapists tend to mould their approach based on the presentation and individuality of the client that sits in front of them. For this reason, many therapists use an integrative approach, meaning that they may combine ideas and techniques from different therapeutic schools of thought based on the holistic needs of any given client.
My aim in therapy is to respect the uniqueness and individuality of each client, and to support and empower them to achieve their goals. An approach that might work with one person might be less effective with another client based on personality differences, motivational differences, or differences in life circumstances. Therefore, my initial goal in therapy is to build an effective therapeutic relationship with the client, so that they may use that as a base to explore their issues and begin to heal and grow.
For more information on different therapeutic approaches, please see the other sections in the ‘Services’ tab.
References & Resources
Psychology Today. (2021). The Aims of Psychotherapy.
Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/freud-fluoxetine/202107/the-aims-psychotherapy
Psychology Today. (2023). Psychologist vs Therapist vs Counsellor: What are the Differences?
Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/basics/therapy/psychologist-vs-therapist-vs-counselor
Psychology Today. (2024). Integrative Therapy.
Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/therapy-types/integrative-therapy
Psychology Today. (2024). What is Therapy?
Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/basics/therapy