~ Written by Emily Whitton ~
The NHS defines counselling as a "talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues."
Counselling, or 'therapy' as it is commonly known, falls under the umbrella term ‘talking therapies’ and allows people to discuss their problems and any difficult feelings they encounter in a safe, confidential environment. The term can mean different things to different people, but in general, it is a process people seek when they want to change something in their lives, or simply explore their thoughts and feelings in more depth.
A counsellor, or therapist, is not there to sit you down and tell you what to do. Instead, they will encourage you to talk about what's bothering you in order to uncover any root causes and identify your specific ways of thinking. They may then look to create a plan of action to either help you reconcile your issues, or help you to find ways of coping.
The terms 'counselling' and 'therapy' have become used interchangeably in recent years. As explained by the NHS, “Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues. Sometimes, the term ‘counselling’ is used to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a type of therapy in its own right.”
Though the terms are often used to mean the same thing, generally counsellors look at specific issues over a shorter time period, whilst therapists often go deeper, looking to uncover the root causes of experiences, and treatment often spans over a longer period of time. It is important to recognise, however, that it is common for counselling to be referred to as 'therapy' and vice-versa. Equally, counsellors may utilise elements of therapy and therapists may counsel.
