Therapy verses Counselling

Therapy is experiential in nature in that the client experiences or becomes aware of their emotions. It often involves healing of the inner self. This may involve revising past experiences and family of origin issues. It is often focusing on unconscious aspects of self that may be hidden or split. In understanding these parts of self and the way they have developed, gives great insight into the here and now issues the client is dealing with.

Counselling is a more systematic process where the counsellor helps the individual, couple or family to reach goals they have set, learn skills and resources to live effectively and productively. It can involve problem solving, learning about our inner world, learning to use new behaviours and new life skills and learning about other resources. It is helping the client change their feelings, thinking and behaviour also. Counselling is usually working with the present situation or the here-and-now.

Theory

Kim is a person centred therapist and uses an emotionally focused approach to her counselling and therapy. This means that Kim works with the concerns that you bring. You are in control of the session and choose what you desire to work towards. Having an emotional focus means that emotions are used in the session to understand thinking and behaviours which may be problematic for the client. Emotions can be expressed in the sessions and safety is created for this. Emotions can also be contained and the client can learn to self regulate emotions.