Counseling vs. Therapy

What is the difference? I wondered too. When I was building River Rose and reflecting about what it is I do, and how I best describe it, the first place I found myself was googling the difference between counseling and therapy. The short answer I found is just that…. counseling typically refers to a more short-term solution focused approach on specific symptoms/behaviors. While therapy can be more long term and focused on the underlying contributors to symptoms/behaviors.

This felt important to me. The work I do with clients is most often focused on underlying contributors to symptoms, behaviors, and patterns that have existed for much of life. Not solely on symptom/behavior reduction and/or management in the short term. *Not that we have NO focus on specific or short term, because we absolutely do. But it is not the main focus of our work. I have learned during my years as a counselor that we can chase behavior/symptom and miss the bigger picture.

I also understand from my side of the therapy room that when we are not clear on the type of work we are doing in sessions it can create pressure. Pressure to “find the right intervention, focus on the right thing, give the right psychoeducation.” Which in turn on the client side of the room could also be felt as pressure to “do therapy right, fix things right now, make progress really quickly.”

Pressure can leave us frustrated, disheartened, and hopeless. This is the exact opposite of what we are trying to do in therapy.

So clarity on the work I do here at River Rose being a more long term, therapy approach as opposed to a short term solution focused one is imperative. It allows the client to be informed as they consent to treatment. It allows me to take the pressure off of being something I am not as a therapist. And this creates a BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION FOR HEALING.

Post Script: Because I feel that education and awareness for clients is important, I also want to share some technical information about the terms counselor and therapist. In most states, the terms counseling and therapy are used interchangeably by those licensed to render these services. These can be counselors, social workers, and/or marriage and family therapists. Specifically in the state of Ohio there are Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Clinical Counselors (LPCC), Licensed Social Workers (LSW) or Independent Social Workers (LISW), and Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT). Education is different for each of these professionals, but most require master’s programs and take one or two licensure exams when applying for or upgrading licensure. All three do work that involves assessment and intervention with a goal of increasing effectiveness in the client’s life. While counselors focus on mental and emotional challenges, social workers have a frame of social functioning within the client’s environment and culture, and marriage and family therapists work with in context of marriage and family systems.