Therapy, Counseling, & Psychotherapy: What's the Difference?
Maybe nothing! Today, these terms are used largely interchangeably. Some professionals may prefer one term more than another for a variety of different reasons. Let me give you some examples from what I've heard from professionals:
- "Counseling sounds less threatening than therapy, so I prefer to use that term."
- "Counseling is associated with giving advice, which is not what therapist's do. So I prefer the word therapy."
- "The type of work I do is intensive, so I prefer the word psychotherapy because it reflects the depth that generally occurs in the therapy setting."
- "I intermix the words and try to use whatever the client feels most comfortable with."
- "My degree says counseling, so that's the word I use."
- "I use therapy because it is the most common term used by other mental health professionals."
- "Psychotherapy sets what we do apart from other professionals like physical therapists and financial counselors."
All of these make sense, but in the end everyone has different reasons for their choice of terminology. I would recommend not getting too hung up on the word the professional uses. Rather, focus more on if they seem the right fit for you.