What is counselling & Psychotherapy
Counsellors & Psychotherapists will demonstrate respect for your self direction, this means that you can discuss whatever you choose to bring to sessions. Furthermore, neither psychotherapist or counsellors strive to analyse or diagnose, there is also the belief that counsellors simply agree with all that you say and simply listen to you with little involvement. However, a skilled, professional and ethical counsellor will strive to be fully engaged in your process by challenging some of your perspectives and offering a different way of looking at your problem whilst remaining empathic and impartial.
Counselling is a process of exploration of your problems in the present moment, and focus on change, where as psychotherapy may help you to look at your past, and connect past experiences to the present, and understand how those experiences shape who you are today.
The BACP guidelines recommend 12 sessions. However, the amount of sessions is determined by the client. Psychotherapy is a process where the you can consider your problems and explore in depth how your childhood experiences the present and your future and tends to be a deeper, longer process. Although, this is at your discretion.