Mental health disciplines
The many different disciplines in the mental health world can be quite confusing. The main difference between all the different mental health practitioners is their education. A counselling or clinical psychologist studied psychology at undergraduate and doctoral level whereas a psychiatrist studied medicine followed by psychiatry training, a psychiatrist is therefore a medical practitioner. While ‘psychologist’ is not a legally protected title in the UK, ‘counselling psychologist’ and ‘clinical psychologist’ are.
Psychotherapy, therapy and counselling are commonly used interchangeably when referring to one-to-one talking therapy sessions of any approach. However, a psychotherapist and a counsellor are educated differently. The length, intensity and approach of their training varies and will depend on the training institution. Neither titles are legally protected in the UK but to attain professional registration or accreditation, the accrediting body’s requirements must be met. The term ‘therapist’ is commonly used for anyone conducting talking therapies.
A further term you may have come across is psychoanalyst, which refers to a psychotherapist who trained in the psychoanalytic approach. Talking therapies have originated from psychoanalysis, which aims to understand unconscious processes by being non-directive and offering a space for free association.
Counselling psychology
Counselling psychology is a division of psychology. In the applied psychology family, counselling psychology is most closely related to clinical psychology. The main difference, again, lies in each discipline’s training.
Clinical psychology training is funded by the NHS. The training is therefore shaped by NHS processes and ways of working and training placements take place within the NHS.
Counselling psychology training is located within each individual university and whilst training placements can be in the NHS, trainees can choose to work with other organisations, such as charities and community organisations.
As practitioners, clinical and counselling psychologists may end up working very similarly but differ slightly in the context and concepts they draw on and the priorities they set.
However, it is important to note here that two clinical or two counselling psychologists may work completely differently from one another, despite having gone through the same training. As well as training, each person’s approach depends on their own preferences, beliefs around what is help and what is helpful and how their own path has influenced their way of working.
Humanistic values
Counselling psychology is underpinned by a humanistic value base. This means that it emphasises the importance of the relationship between client and therapist and focusses on subjective experience, growth, individuality and social context.
Crucially, counselling psychology does not assume that there is one solution that fits all but rather thinks about each person and their history as unique. To me, this also means being flexible in my therapeutic approach to welcome the client in how they want to use their therapeutic space.
Counselling psychology tries to explore rather than assume, formulate rather than diagnose and understand rather than prescribe. This means that as a Counselling Psychologist, I do not have an answer to questions such as ‘what therapy is best for depression?’. Instead, I think about the client’s explicit and implicit needs and aim to respond to these in a way that allows for the client to feel seen.