Are you:
- Struggling to cope with a significant loss or life change?
- Finding it tough to manage unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anger or anxiety?
- Feeling rigid or chaotic in your ways of coping?
- Stuck in ineffective or hurtful relationships?
- Overwhelmed at times by guilt, shame, self-judgment or criticism?
- Trying to recover from trauma or abuse?
- Having a hard time adjusting to the loss of a loved one?
- Often feeling ill or experiencing physical pain or disabling symptoms?
- Struggling with weight problems, unhealthy body image, or an eating disorder?
- Dealing with an addiction (yourself or someone in your life)?
- Feeling ready for change but unable to get motivated or find the best approach?
Encountering challenging life situations is normal. While you might have successfully managed or even overcome some struggles in the past, it is okay to reach out for help when you think you can’t do it alone. Seeking support demonstrates that you have enough self-awareness to recognize when you need it. It shows that you are interested in taking responsibility for yourself and your circumstances, and in making a commitment to learn and work toward positive change and improved well-being. It is an act of courage and self-compassion.
What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy therapy?
Counselling and psychotherapy are terms often used interchangeably by mental health professionals. Both are processes wherein the practitioner uses questions, reflection, and feedback to help clients explore and find answers and solutions to their challenges and problems. Generally speaking, counselling focuses on helping clients build their personal resources and strengths in order to overcome specific issues in the present. Therapy generally entails a deeper examination of self in relation to longer standing psychological and social issues. Therapy tends to be more focused on the development of insight and the facilitation of change in how an individual views and responds to the self and the world. Both offer lasting benefits by providing you with the tools and strategies to avoid or to successfully navigate through challenging times and move forward in your life.
Is counselling or psychotherapy best for me?
Sometimes mental health practitioners use a blend of counselling and psychotherapy to optimize the client’s experience and results. Other times, it might be more appropriate to use one or the other. In most cases, the choice is determined through ongoing clinical assessment and decision-making regarding what approach is the best for the client at each stage of the process. In the best interest of the client, it is the practitioner’s ethical responsibility to discuss the potential benefits and risks of all counselling or therapy strategies and techniques. Likewise, it is essential to obtain the client’s input and feedback regarding what is most comfortable for them based on their values, beliefs, and experiences.
A person, couple or family might initially seek counselling to help them figure out why they are struggling in some avenue of their life, only to discover that their current problem is connected to unresolved past issues influencing how they function in various roles and relationships. Such a realization might influence them to engage in more in-depth, longer term psychotherapy. When an individual does not cope well with significant life stressors for long periods of time, the resulting anxiety, fear, and sometimes incapacitating symptoms can inhibit healthy ways of relating to the self and others, and might prevent the acceptance of support. For those who do seek support, psychotherapy might be most appropriate and helpful.
If any of the above resonated with you, counselling or therapy may be a good option. Please review the Frequently Asked Questions and reach out via the Contact page.