Psychotherapy and Counselling are professional activities that enable people to develop self-understanding and to make changes in their lives. Counsellors and psychotherapists work within a professional  contracted relationship that allows individuals to get assistance in exploring and resolving issues of an interpersonal, psychological, or personal nature. Counsellors and Psychotherapists have undergone Counselling and Psychotherapy in-depth and specific training to utilise a range of therapeutic interventions, and should be differentiated from the use of counselling skills by other professionals.

Client Centred Approach

A Counsellor or Psychotherapists work is  based on counselling, psychotherapeutic, and psychological theories, and a set of advanced interpersonal skills which emphasise facilitating clients’ change processes in the therapeutic context. This work is based on a person centred approach with the ethos of respect for clients;

• their values

• their beliefs

• their uniqueness and

• their right to self-determination

Counselling and Psychotherapy will also take account of the cultural and socio-political context in which the client lives and how these factors affect the presenting problem. The process may involve intervening with current problems, immediate crises, or long-term difficulties. The work may be short-term or long-term, depending on the nature of the difficulties, and may involve working with individuals, couples, families or groups.

Although Counselling and Psychotherapy overlap considerably, there are also recognised differences. While the work of Counsellors and Psychotherapists with clients may be of considerable depth, the focus of Counselling is more likely to be on specific problems, changes in life adjustments and fostering clients’ wellbeing. Psychotherapy is more concerned with the restructuring of the personality or self and the development of insight.