What is Counselling?

Counselling can sometimes be referred to as talk therapy. Counselling offers a safe space in which to explore, with the assistance of a trained cousellor, any issues that a client may be struggling with in their life. Often these issues cause emotional distress and affect our quality of life and ability to cope as effectively as we normally would. 

Counselling offers the opportunity to talk about your feelings and worries in a safe, non-judgmental and confidential environment. Counselling is not about giving advice or offering solutions as each of us has the capacity within ourselves to solve our own problems; often we can’t see this while we are in the middle of a crisis. Counsellors are trained to help the individual tap into their own inner resources and identify the solutions which work best for them and which respect the client’s values, personal resources and capacity for self-determination.  

Counselling is a process that evolves over time and takes place at the clients pace and comfort. The key element that makes counselling successful is the relationship between counsellor and client therefore it is important to find the right counsellor for your needs. 

What is Psychotherapy?

Often people wonder what the difference is between counselling and psychotherapy and the answer is depth. Psychotherapy goes to a deeper personal level than counselling and tends to deal with deeper more long-term problems that may be rooted in the past or in traumatic events in childhood. All psychotherapy starts as counselling as a strong and trusting relationship between client and counsellor is required for psychotherapeutic work. Where counselling may focus on a singular presenting issue, psychotherapy looks at patterns of behavior and chronic issues that often stem from childhood and looks to resolve these to enable a better future.