Counselling & Psychotherapy

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy?
There’s a lot of overlap. Both can be enriching and help you to deal with your problems in a more effective way. Counselling often focuses on a specific problem, whereas psychotherapy tends to deal with more deep-seated issues arising from your past. Many people who seek psychotherapy are not in a crisis, but are interested in finding out about themselves, improving relationships and living a more rewarding life.
Unlike most counsellors, psychotherapists will have been through therapy themselves as part of their training and development.

What is counselling?
Counselling is a process which enables clients to explore problematic areas, difficulties and concerns.
Counselling provides time and space in which you can:
Share, explore and understand things that are concerning you
Explore the feelings, thoughts and behaviours that go with them
Develop better coping skills and find new ways of managing
Prepare for life's challenges
Get support in the process of adjustment and change.
Some clients find that they have no presenting or significant problem, but that they just want to feel "listened to" and understood, having the space to share or work through their thoughts and feelings.
The client chooses what they want to work on, and is empowered to make their own decisions and choices. An honest, trusting and supportive relationship between counsellor and client is essential for the counselling process, but the client is in control of what he/she reveals to the counsellor. Counselling is a non-judgmental environment, where clients are respected for who they are, whatever their ethnicity, beliefs, lifestyle, or sexual orientation.

What is psychotherapy and psychoanalysis?
Psychotherapy treatment involves listening and talking, and understanding the relationship between the people involved. Each psychotherapy session provides the opportunity to find space to tell your story, and be listened to. The important part of this is establishing a healing relationship with the therapist. Psychotherapy engages clients in a relationship with the clinician that allows both to explore the less conscious meanings of a client's basic assumptions, and to try out better alternatives.  
Sometimes called a "talking therapy", psychotherapy, is also referred to as psychodynamic. Psychodynamic psychotherapy involves exploring past conflicts in relation to your current problems in order to make change possible. It can use in different formats: for example, group, individual, couple and family. Therapists come from a range of theoretical backgrounds, and therefore the exact nature of treatment offered will depend on who you work with. This therapy is often conducted once or twice a week, face-to-face, although there are variations on that frequency.
Psychoanalysis is an intense treatment first developed by Freud and elaborated by many others. It resembles dynamic psychotherapy in its goals, with a special emphasis on examining the unconscious motivations, anxiety and fears of the patient. Patients are often encouraged to lie on a couch, four or five times a week, and to "free associate" in order to gain access to the unconscious.

How would I know if I could benefit from counselling/psychotherapy?
If you are experiencing or feeling ongoing anger, depression, co-dependency, alcohol and/or drug dependency, shame, denial, anxiety, or other emotions or feelings that are causing you physical or emotional discomfort, you may benefit from talking with a therapist.Contents

Is everything discussed with a Counsellor/ Psychotherapist confidential?
It is essential that our clients know that what they talk about with there therapists will remain confidential. There are however some limits to confidentiality. There are three exceptions.
As well, we may encourage you to allow us to confer with other professionals involved in your care in order to develop the best treatment plan for you. However, you make the decision about whether this can happen or not. Aside from these exceptions, issues discussed in counselling sessions remain confidential.

How many sessions are needed?
No one knows the client better than the client themselves! Therapy is very much centred upon the client, who decides for themselves when they are ready to stop the counselling process. It depends a lot on the client's goals and the level of functioning that they desire to reach. It really is your choice - you will know when you are ready to go it alone! The length of therapy must ideally conform to the needs of the person seeking help. Sometimes brief interventions may be very helpful. In other cases, months and years of work are invested in an in-depth exploration of many aspects of the patient's personal conflicts.

How can I make therapy work for me?
Clients can help themselves by being committed to the process - it often requires much effort and determination to work efficiently. Clients who know what they want to achieve are half-way there to solving the problem. However, therapy can assist clients to determine their goals if the client is unsure of which way to turn. Although clients can choose what they reveal in the sessions, it is important that what they do disclose is as honest and accurate as possible, in order for the therapist to gain a clear insight and understanding of the client.

How does internet / telephone counselling work?
We are working hard to make counselling available via email, instant chat or telephone. You choose the means with which you are more comfortable. You may, for example, wish to start off with telephone counselling, then continue sessions via email/instant chat, or vice-versa. It is your decision entirely!
Although counselling is traditionally a face-to-face process, things are changing as we have entered the 21st century ; we often have pressures or restrictions of time, finances, identity, location, disability etc. This type of counselling still offers a "safe" environment. You still have control over the counselling process, you can choose what you want to say and how you say it, whilst maintaining your own comfortable level of individual space, and a certain degree of anonymity if you so wish. Also, if you choose to receive counselling by email or instant chat, you can keep a printed record of the sessions, which will enable you to review your personal growth and progress.

What should I know about my counsellor/ psychotherapist?
It is important to gain as much information about your counsellor as possible. Clients should be satisfied that their counsellor is qualified, experienced, and that they adhere to a code of ethics.

How can counselling/psychotherapy help me?
Counselling and/or therapy can help alleviate emotional pain and suffering. It can help you develop new skills to deal with the problems at hand. It can help increase your self-esteem. It can give you hope that there is a better way, or a way out. The only thing that it can't do is change you. You have to do that by yourself. You have to take the skills or new ideas and put them into practice in your life. Therapy will not help you unless you take what you have learned and put it into practice in the world.

What does successful counselling/psychotherapy feel like?
Successful therapy feels like something has changed - something is different. You feel more hope and self-confidence. You are trying out new behaviours and they are working. People may react differently to you, and they may comment that something about you has changed. You will also likely notice that you are having different results in your interactions with people around you. In the end, you are the one who makes the decision about whether therapy has been successful.

What is the difference between a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist, a Counsellor, and a Social Worker?
Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors that receive an additional training in the field of psychiatry. Although some psychiatrists will specialize in 'biological' psychiatry and others will specialize as psychotherapists, most psychiatrists employ a number of different types of treatment, tailoring each combination to the needs of the individual patient. However, all psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication if they feel it is called for. They tend to be called upon to treat the more serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and manic depression.
Psychologists
Psychologists have attained at least a doctorate degree in psychology. They typically carry out much of the research in the field of psychology. Unlike psychiatry, psychology is a non-medical discipline that has been firstly concerned with the normal functioning of the mind and has explored areas such as learning, remembering and the normal psychological development of children. Psychologists are not able to prescribe medication and so concentrate exclusively on psychological or 'talking treatments'. They treat a wide range of conditions, including phobias, depression, other individual emotional problems and family problems.
Counsellors
There are currently no regulations governing those working in the field, although this situation is under review. At the moment, educational qualifications vary greatly for people practicing as counsellors. They counsel clients, provide therapy, evaluate the effectiveness of counselling programs and evaluate clients' progress in resolving identified problems and movement towards defined objectives, and they follow up results of counselling programs and clients' adjustments.
Social Workers
Social work positions generally have at least a B.A. university social work degree or diploma.
Social workers treat social functioning difficulties, provide counselling, therapy and referral to other supportive social services, and evaluate child development and the adequacy of child care.

What can I expect from a therapist?
Your therapist ought to:
treat you with integrity.
be honest and forthright with you.
have taken their own personal healing work seriously and have addressed it in some in meaningful and significant way.
respect your opinions and beliefs even if they differ from their own.
be non-judgemental in every aspect.
act ethically and morally.
make you aware of your rights and responsibilities at the beginning of therapy.

[Back to Top]

How do I know when my therapy is over?
You and your therapist together will be regularly assessing how close you are to achieving your goals, and when that goal is more or less achieved, you can together work toward a termination. Yes, people often return for more treatment since life is unpredictable and problems arise it is natural to return to a trusted helper who knows you well.

Does it mean that I am 'ill' if I'm in psychotherapy?
Regardless of how you were referred, psychotherapy aims to treat people with long histories of serious emotional difficulties. These are linked to personal development, often over many years, and sometimes right from early childhood. The symptoms you may be referred with might have led to you having been diagnosed with mental illness. The aim in psychotherapy is to look more deeply into the emotions, conflicts and distress behind these diagnoses.

How often are the sessions?
Most therapy is once weekly, although it can be up to three times per week in certain circumstances. For the intensive programmes, attendance is daily or several times weekly.

What benefit should I feel afterwards?
Research has shown that psychotherapy is effective in reducing symptoms, improving relationships and self esteem. However, as each person is an individual it is difficult to generalise at the beginning as to which benefits a person may feel. The exploration and the journey is often as important as the goal. Contents

Does it usually work?
A great deal of research has been done in the last few years to demonstrate that psychotherapy is effective. However, it only works as a catalyst with the person undergoing treatment. This means that in order to be effective, the "work" is not done to you - but by you and with you.

What can go wrong?
It may uncover underlying problems that are not amenable to psychotherapeutic treatment. These may then mean that decisions have to be made about discontinuing therapy and other treatment that might then be necessary. During the course of therapy it may be tempting to use less helpful coping skills, such as alcohol and drugs, that have been familiar to you in the past.

How will I feel during therapy?
It is possible that you may feel worse before you feel better, and some people find their psychological distress is reflected in physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach pains. Therapy requires an uncovering of painful feelings and memories. This can be experienced as a relief but it may also stir up uncomfortable feelings.

How much will I have to do myself?
Therapy is an active process, like a journey of self exploration. The therapist can offer guidance, but the ultimate responsibility for changing is with you.

How will it affect people close to me?
Your view of yourself and others may alter considerably through therapy. As you change, your relationships will change too - and it can disrupt the equilibrium of current intimate relationships. You need to bear this in mind before you start, and you may want to discuss it with those close to you. As this is a common experience, your therapist will be familiar with it and will be willing to discuss it with you.

Can I stop if I feel it's not working?
It is always possible to leave therapy, though the pressure to remain may seem stressful at times. Some people have to have several "goes" at therapy before they succeed. Talk about your difficulties with your therapist before you decide to stay or leave. Ultimately, if you want to stop, it is up to you.

Will I need to stop medication?
This depends on what sort of treatment is being offered. If you are going to join a therapeutic community, there are often clear guidelines about medication - which might means stopping all tranquillisers and anti-depressants. For out patient treatment, arrangements are more variable, and it is something you should discuss with your therapist, and also the other professionals responsible for the prescription of your medication. Sometimes there is a need to combine medication and psychotherapy over a period of time, and this decision should be discussed by everyone involved. Psychotherapy services do not usually prescribe medication.

Other queries...
Please feel free to call or email me with any queries:

Top of page