What’s counseling and what it can do for you?
Counseling: Professional guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems. (Dictionary.com entry for “Counseling”).
The most succinct way to describe the counseling process is to say that the process helps explore relevant areas of your life (or your family) to find strengths, identify areas for growth and remove obstacles that inhibit effective decision making. Counseling” deals mainly with basic life problems that most people experience at one time or another. Examples include work stress, relationship problems or difficult life transitions such as the loss of a loved one.
In contrast the word “psychotherapy” suggests a greater focus on improving problems with a person’s underlying thoughts, beliefs or emotions. Obviously the best benefit for most people involves a mix of both approaches. Read our page on Psychotherapy for more information.
A counselor is also likely to give lots of supportive suggestions or advice while a psychotherapist is generally less direct in giving opinions. We think the most effective approach is to create an emotionally safe space for the deep discussion of sensitive issues while also actively encouraging the conversation toward the most productive outcome, deepest relief and greatest insight.
Please contact us to book an intake session or for more information.
