This is a daft question

Former Member

But I do need to know, it's bugging me!

What exactly is the difference between a therapist and a counsellor? I can deal with the difference between a therapist/counsellor and a psychiatrist but past that I'm confused.

OK, this is daft perhaps, but does anyone know?

Former Member

A counsellor is trained in counselling, whereas a therapist usually has a degree in psychology. The difference between a psychotherapist and a psychologist can be a bit blurred, but the therapist I see is only a nurse, whilst psychologists are usually doctors.

Former Member

in theory, the sole purpose of a counsellor is to let you talk to someone understanding about your problems. the 'getting it off your chest' approach.

therapy differs, depending on which type it is, but generally the purpose of therapy is to change your way of thinking, or your behaviour. it's a lot more proactive. different types of therapy use different approaches to solve problems.

it's all very general though.

Former Member

OK. Cheers all.

All I know about the therapist I've been seeing is that she's a family therapist (who has never met my family) and she told me that she doesn't do CBT... The thing is that I'm not sure what I'm getting out of it - and one day I will get the guts up to tell her that - because I just seem to sit and talk. And I feel pretty much the same now as I did 2 years ago when this started (although I was a bit better for a while in the middle), so I don't really know what exactly it is I'm doing with her or how it's supposed to help.

So if anyone could glean anything from my vague ramblings and has any idea... much appreciated!