The decision to see a counsellor or psychotherapist is usually made during time of indecision, stress or pain. The decisions to seek help may also be the result of long standing issues or problems that may involve recurrent worries, frustrations, guilt, or self-defeating behaviour. Three major professions traditionally offer psychotherapy: licensed social workers who have completed a degree course, licensed psychologists and GPs who have a completed a residency in psychiatry. Practitioners of these professions do not have degrees in psychotherapy, they have degrees in social work or psychology or are doctors of medicine or osteopathy. Some people feel the term psychotherapy connotes something deeper than counselling, but in common usage, the terms have become synonymous Those who offer psychotherapy including counsellors of various sorts, consult with people who are experiencing difficulties in life. Among the latter are marriage counsellors, drug counsellors and guidance counsellors, etc. Some people who offer their services as counsellors have completed a graduate course in their speciality. Others may have completed training at a distance learning college or may have earned certificates through attendance at work-shops. Some have simply decided to offer counselling. Because there are so many people with such varied background who offer counselling, it is next to impossible to describe counselling in a comprehensive way or to explain what their methods and techniques they use are. It is essential to lean about the education and experience of people who offer counselling, see their certificates, see their liability insurance stating "counselling" to ensure you are protected from incompetent and unethical practitioners |
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