Therapy vs Counseling: What's the Difference?

The eventfulness of the last few years has become an online joke. But not everything has changed for the worse. More Americans saw therapists and counselors in 2020 and 2021 than ever before.

The stigma against mental health treatment is disappearing, albeit slowly. People are starting to recognize how important mental health is. Even so, there are still some things most people don’t know about mental health.

For instance, did you know that there’s a difference between therapy vs counseling? We’ll talk about some of the differences in this article.

What Is Counseling?

The main difference between counseling and therapy is that therapy is a larger field. You could even argue that counseling is a type of therapy. Counseling is a type of talk therapy that’s often short-term and goal-oriented.

Counselors might specialize in certain issues. They might only work with patients dealing with those issues. When a patient has gotten past what they were seeing a counselor for, their visits will likely end.

What is Therapy?

Therapy is a more generalized, long-term form of counseling. Therapists spend many sessions with their patients and get to know them. As they learn more about their patients, therapists often help them overcome many issues in their lives.

Patients often struggle with finding the right therapist. A therapist could see you for years, so it’s important to find the right one.

Methods of Therapy

Therapy comes in many different forms, and therapists have many different ways to treat issues. The most well-known type of therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a technique that revolves around thoughts. Mental health issues aren’t always out of our control. We might even be doing things that sustain our condition.

CBT aims to identify and break the cycles that enable certain mental illnesses. There’s also interpersonal therapy, which focuses on relationships and social interaction. Another kind of therapy known as psychodynamic therapy deals with unconscious thought.

Types of Therapy and Counseling

It’s tempting to focus on differences when discussing therapy vs counseling, but the two share more similarities. Counseling and therapy both come in many forms. You can attend alone or in groups.

You can also go to therapy or counseling in many locations. Some people go to a therapist’s office, while the most severe cases might be sent to a psychiatric hospital. One of the most famous therapy programs in the world is Alcoholics Anonymous, which meets in groups in churches.

One-on-one therapy or counseling is the most well-known type, but there’s also group therapy, relationship counseling, and family therapy. Which therapy or counseling service is right for you depends on your situation.