<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>According to statistical forecasts in modern societies is trend of mental disorders growth, especially anxiety and depression. At the same time there will be probably present higher demands for professional psychosocial support. Psychotherapy and counselling as talking interventions are part of the psychosocial support, needed when people can’t resolve their (mental) problems by themselves. The article deals with the question about differneces between those two professions. Are those differences artificial, is there any argumented facts in favour of different proponents? For this purpose we have examined different definitions of counselling and psychotherapy, training standards, techniques and skills, ethical standards, treatment outcomes, depth of treatment and clients expiriences.</p></abstract>

According to statistical forecasts in modern societies is trend of mental disorders growth, especially anxiety and depression. At the same time there will be probably present higher demands for professional psychosocial support. Psychotherapy and counselling as talking interventions are part of the psychosocial support, needed when people can’t resolve their (mental) problems by themselves. The article deals with the question about differneces between those two professions. Are those differences artificial, is there any argumented facts in favour of different proponents? For this purpose we have examined different definitions of counselling and psychotherapy, training standards, techniques and skills, ethical standards, treatment outcomes, depth of treatment and clients expiriences.

Differences between psychotherapy and counselling. Who is looking for and who needs them?

Research in Social Change

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

According to statistical forecasts in modern societies is trend of mental disorders growth, especially anxiety and depression. At the same time there will be...

Year	Intervention	Number of referrals for depressive disorder	Average number of sessions	Recovery rate (%)
2013-14	CBT	21,622	5.7
	Counselling	13,369	5.4	45,1
2014-15	CBT	28,350	5.1	44,1
	Counselling	14,994	4.4	45,2
2015-16	CBT	35,589	5.8	45,9
	Counselling/CfD	20,011	5.3	47,6

Differences between psychotherapy and counselling. Who is looking for and who needs them?

Published Online: Jul 21, 2021

Page range: 4 - 18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rsc-2019-0001

© 2019 Primož Rakovec, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Data extracted from successive NHS digital reports on comparisons between cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and counselling/counselling for depression (CfD).