Counselling & Psychotherapy - What's the difference?

Counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably, and there is a lot of overlap between the two. Both can offer a space to talk, to be heard and to make sense of what you are experiencing. What matters most, I think, is finding an approach and a therapist that feels right for you.

Counselling can sometimes focus more on a particular difficulty or something that is happening in your life now. It can give you space to explore what you are experiencing, understand it more clearly and perhaps find a way forward.

Psychotherapy can offer more space to explore deeper patterns, past experiences and what may sit underneath what you are experiencing today. We might become curious about how you have learnt to relate to yourself and others, how you respond when things feel difficult, and whether some of these patterns are still serving you. Training to become a psychotherapist is generally longer and more in-depth, allowing for a deeper exploration of psychological theory, personal development and therapeutic practice.

There isn't always a clear line between counselling and psychotherapy, and both can be shorter or longer term depending on what you need and what feels right for you.

For me, the relationship between therapist and client is at the heart of therapy. Creating a space where you can feel safe, heard and able to be yourself is an important part of the work. Therapy isn't about having someone tell you what to do or give you all the answers. It is about having someone alongside you as you begin to understand yourself more deeply.

I’m a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist, MBACP, with a four-year, 744-hour Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy from HOMA London. My training was deeply experiential and has shaped the way I work. I draw on Gestalt, Person-Centred therapy, Transactional Analysis and Formative Psychology, alongside embodied, creative and eco-therapeutic practices.

I believe therapy isn't only about talking from the head. Sometimes our experiences are held in the body, in our relationships, in our ways of moving through the world, and in things we don't yet have words for.

Together, we can explore your story with curiosity, compassion and respect, at a pace that feels right for you.

Vikki Harris, Psychotherapist