«In my experience, psychotherapy is:

• a space to explore your problems in complete confidentiality

• a time to make meaningful changes in your life

• an opportunity to come into your own.»

What are the main differences between counselling and psychotherapy?

Broadly speaking, counselling helps to approach and solve specific problems in a concrete way and often lasts from 6 to 24 sessions; psychotherapy (or therapy) is an in-depth, longer treatment and is required to address issues that can be deep-seated and far-ranging in their effects.

Counselling focuses on support and targeted solutions. Therapy focuses on the ‘big picture’ and helps the person change in a meaningful and sustainable way.

What does counselling help with?

I have found that people choose counselling to work through issues such as:

• Redundancy
• Work-related stress
• Bereavement
• Management of emotions
• Divorce, separation and punctual relationship problems
• Some psychosexual issues
• Depression following a life event

These problems have in common, that they seem to be caused by a set of personal circumstances or a recent event. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

In which cases is psychotherapy more appropriate?

Psychotherapy is more appropriate for issues such as:

• Generalised anxiety
• Addiction and substance misuse
• Childhood-related problems
• Ongoing difficulties in creating and maintaining relationships
• Most psychosexual issues
• Management of emotions
• Chronic depression
• Chronic illness

What these issues have in common is that they seem to have “been around” for some time. You may have experienced them as low-grade symptoms.

What sort of outcomes can be expected from counselling and psychotherapy?

Achieving positive outcomes depends on:

• our ability to work together. It is one of the goals of the initial consultation to work this out.
• the nature and severity of the issue(s) that motivate you to seek help
• the appropriate length and regularity of treatment for the isue(s) you want to address

I have witnessed many positive outcomes such as:

• decreased or manageable anxiety
• improved and more stable mood
• increased self-confidence
• improved performance in the workplace, including leadership
• better management of substances, with lasting recoveries from addiction
• Increased self-awareness
• improved ability to manage emotions
• improved ability to be in fulfilling relationships

Generally, clients who have sought me for counselling have been successful in tackling their most pressing problems. People who engage in longer-term psychotherapy have a greater opportunity to grow as people and to build a capacity to address life’s challenges and make meaning of them.