Information about Counselling & Psychotherapy: Lucan, Co. Dublin and Mullingar, co. Westmeath, Ireland
Frequently we are asked as Therapists what is Psychotherapy and how will it help me. Psychotherapy is a process in which the Therapist and the client embark on a journey of self exploration for the client. This often includes dealing with issues such as self-esteem, depresion, anger and anger management, stress and stress management, and anxiety, to name just a few. The goal of psychotherapy is to help the client explore their issues in a safe, confidential environment so as to better understand and overcome the difficulties they have raised. Ultimately, the aim would be for better understanding and acceptance in the client of themselves and their lives resulting in a better quality of life.
The main difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy is that psychotherapy would go deeper into the issues and self exploration of the client. Counselling would be provided more as a support to the individual, though often the terms are used interchangeably.
Often we are also asked the difference between Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychologists. Although there are exceptions to this, generally speaking Psychiatrists would work with people experiencing more severe mental health problems and would have the ability to prescribe medication. They would deal with the treatment and management of Mental Health Disorders such as Schizophrenia, Bi-Polar Affective Disorder, Psychoctic or delusional Disorders and similar Psychiatric Diagnosis. They often take their approach from the medical model. Although some people who experience some of these disorders, such as Bi-Polar, can receive and do well with Psychotherapy, generally speaking thay must be stabilised with a Psychiatrist before engaging in Psychotherapy. It is often prudent to have the Psychiatrists approval if they have been seen within the past 6 months.
Psychologists also would be more theoretically trained and would often be called on to perform assessments and testing of various sorts, including personality, etc. There are many kinds of Psychologists, and indeed some would provide counselling and psychotherapy as well, but most would be coming more from a cognitive behavioural model. When clients are seeking a report for court or insurance purposes it is often more appropriate to attend a Psychologist for an Assessment as they are trained in providing these kinds of reports.
Psychotherapy generally would be a more holistic approach using different techniques to access and work with the deeper emotional and psychological issues. Approaches, such as gestalt and bio-dynamic, would incorporate the mind, body and spirit into the work. There are many ways in dealing with the same issues. People experiencing depression, self-esteem, anger management and/or anxiety issues, to name a few, may choose any of the above disciplines to work with their issues.
Which approach you choose comes down to an individuals choice and needs at the time. Also, it is important to note that the Therapeutic relationship is very important. When seeking Counselling/Psychotherapy for the first time, I would encourage an individual to talk with their therapist at an initial meeting and decide after whether or not they feel comfortable with this therapist. Not every therapist is a fit for every client and it is important at the onset to seek a therapist you feel safe enough to work with.
Another important point which is often missed when initally seeking therapy, is to find a qualified therapist. I would encourage any potential client to ask the Therapist about their qualifications. All qualified professional therapists should be registered or accredited with a professional organisation. We have included links to some of these on our useful links page.
We at Aspen Counselling Services would be happy to discuss any of these issues with you and help you to find the right approach to dealing with whatever challenges are presenting in your life right now.
