Counseling and CBT are central concepts to the domain of clinical psychology – the field that deals with assessing, diagnosing, and treating a vast array of mental health problems. Today, we are going to break down what the processes of counseling and CBT look like, how they’re different from each other, and why seeking professional help is important, regardless of what type of approach – counseling or CBT – is best for you.
Counseling
Counseling is best described as a “talking therapy”. It’s recommended for patients who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of common mental health conditions like anxiety, panic, or depression. Patients come to their counselors, talk about their problems, and are empowered to reach their own decisions with gentle guidance from the counselor. In effect, counseling is invaluable to those scores of individuals who feel that they don’t have a listening ear or a warm, compassionate presence to discuss their personal life with – because counselors provide exactly that to their patients.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is also a ‘talking therapy’, but it provides a more structured, systematic approach. CBT is best suited to individuals who have experienced mental health problems for extended time periods, and in higher severity and frequency. CBT helps people deal with distorted thought patterns regarding their particular issues and life circumstances. Further, CBT therapists arm their clients with coping strategies to practice out of the therapist’s office – strategies that are simple, effective, and that they can implement in their day-to-day lives with ease.
Which to Choose?
As we’ve seen, CBT is a more robust approach compared to counseling. It tackles your thinking head-on, challenging you to reset your framework of opinions to something more grounded and positive. It’s also not for the faint of heart; CBT requires dedication and perseverance from both the patient and therapist if they want to see results.
Counseling is far more intuitive. Each patient has their own journey with their counselor as they share their issues and attempt to find solutions that are unique to the circumstances of the patient. That said, counseling is not the best tool for dealing with severe, long-term psychological issues; in those scenarios, CBT is your best bet.
Why is Seeing a Therapist Important?
Whatever the case – whether your issues are new, or have been persisting for a long time – therapy remains a powerful tool for enhancing one’s personal life, social well-being, and quality of relationships. It is always better to share problems and seek solutions with experienced and trustworthy professionals, in place of carrying them around until they start affecting important domains of your life: work, academics, marriage, and so forth. Visiting your therapist will help you ascertain the exact nature of help you need, whether it is CBT, counseling, or something else.
