"Psychotherapy is a holistic engagement that focuses on the mental, emotional, relational or spiritual health of a human being..." (PACFA, 2021). It tends to be a deeper, longer-term therapeutic approach, aimed at identifying the root cause of a person's issues.
"Counselling is a safe and confidential collaboration ... to promote mental health and wellbeing, enhance self-understanding and resolve identified concerns." (PACFA, 2023). Therapy is generally shorter-term, focused on present day concerns.
Please see the following documents developed by the PACFA Colleges of Counselling and Psychotherapy to find out more about these unique and distinct approaches to mental health.
What is psychotherapy? Psychotherapy is a group of therapies that help you to understand why you feel, think and act in ways that are distressing and affect your life. Psychotherapy aims to help you work towards changing these.
These therapies are often used to treat mental health conditions. They can also be useful for anyone wanting to change unhelpful thoughts or behaviours.
Psychotherapy is provided by psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals who have specialised training. It is sometimes called 'psychological therapy' or 'talking therapy'.
When would I need psychotherapy? Psychotherapy can be used to treat:
depression anxiety eating disorders panic substance-use disorders (for example, alcohol and other drugs) obsessive compulsive disorder borderline personality disorder or dependent personality disorder If your doctor diagnoses one of these conditions, your doctor may also recommend you take prescription medicines together with psychotherapy.
Not everyone who has psychotherapy will have a mental health condition. These therapies can also be helpful to learn how to deal with stressful and challenging situations using healthy coping skills.
What are the types of psychotherapy? Cognitive behaviour therapy — looks at the link between a person's thoughts, feelings and actions and how each may affect their perception (the way they view the world) and wellbeing. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy — a type of CBT that involves learning 'mindfulness meditation'. Dialectical behaviour therapy — a type of CBT that teaches positive behavioural skills to manage stress, emotions and develop positive relationships. Interpersonal therapy — helps a person deal more effectively with people and situations they find difficult. Supportive psychotherapy —a talking-based therapy designed to allow a person with mental health issues to voice their concerns and receive encouragement and help in finding practical solutions. Acceptance and commitment therapy — helps a person accept their thoughts and feelings by focusing on the present moment and to 'just notice' their thoughts and feelings. Psychodynamic psychotherapy — increases awareness of how distressing thoughts and feelings came to be and how they might play a role in their problems. Your therapist may combine exercises or practices from different types of psychotherapy to tailor a therapy for you.
What are the benefits of psychotherapy? Psychotherapy aims to help people with or without mental health issues to understand their feelings, thoughts and actions better and to discover their own resilience.
While psychotherapy can't stop stressful events, it can give you the power to cope in a healthy way. It can also help you understand yourself and learn new ways of thinking, behaving and feeling.
Psychotherapy takes time to show results. It usually will take a few months, but positive effects are often long lasting.
How can you get the most out of psychotherapy? Here are some tips to get the most out of psychotherapy:
Choose a therapist that is right for you. Think about what you want to achieve and what type of psychotherapy may benefit you. Be honest with your therapist. You need to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences honestly. Be an active participant in the therapy. Therapy works best as a partnership: you need to do the work. Put in the time. If you have homework, make this part of your daily routine. It may be difficult in the beginning, but a new habit takes time to become routine. If it's not working, consider a different approach. Talk to your therapist about whether a different psychotherapy approach may be more beneficial for you. A good therapist will welcome feedback.
What is a counsellor? Counsellors are a type of mental health professional. You can talk to a counsellor to help you overcome difficulties in your life.
What do counsellors do? Counselling can help you to cope with your issues and move through life. Counselling is when you talk with a qualified professional to help you make sense of and deal with the things you are going through. Counsellors ask questions and listen to you in a way that is:
non-judgmental safe confidential People of any age can see a counsellor — there are counsellors who specialise in helping people throughout the life span.
Depending on your needs, counselling can be for a short time or long term. It can also be done:
individually with specific people, such as family members or a partner What problems can counselling help with? Counsellors help people who are facing problems such as:
career stress financial stress loss, grief and bereavement challenges with mental health and wellbeing relationship problems stress trauma and domestic violence Counsellors can also support people with mental illnesses like:
depression postnatal depression post-traumatic stress disorder eating disorders, like anorexia or bulimia Counselling can also:
help with addictions — alcohol, drug or gambling addictions help you quit smoking help you manage anger What sort of treatment does a counsellor provide? Some counsellors offer a range of approaches, which means they can offer counselling that best suits you. Other counsellors offer only one approach.
Examples of different types of therapies used in counselling are:
acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) mindfulness couples counselling group therapies for grief, substance abuse or other issues Counsellors can work with you to:
improve your mental health help you understand yourself better help you develop strategies to work towards goals provide advice on the difficulties you are facing A counsellor can help you develop your problem-solving skills by:
helping you to understand the issues you are facing exploring the options you have to manage these issues Counsellors can refer you on for further help if needed. Counsellors don’t diagnose mental health conditions.
Is counselling confidential? By law, a counsellor must keep what you tell them confidential.
There are some exceptions, such as where you or another person is thought to be at risk of harm.
Your counsellor should outline confidentiality in your first session.
