Counselling provides a forum where individuals or couples come together with a Counsellor to seek solutions to a specific problem, to learn new coping skills, to become better organised, to seek an answer about a life dilemma, to function more maturely or to clarify what is ailing them. Counselling is a shorter term treatment designed to manage a specific problem, situation or life change.
What is the difference between clinical psychology and counselling psychology? The answer, however, is not at all simple because psychology can be applied in many different ways. Some persons who study psychology end up practicing as counsellors, some practice as psychotherapists, and some practice as psychologists. To make it even more complicated, some psychologists use techniques of psychotherapy and some use techniques of counselling.
Counselling or psychotherapy is a professional relationship that focuses on personal problems. The counselling relationship differs from both social friendships and patient-doctor contacts. Unlike friends, counsellors are able to be objective; they are not involved in your daily lives. Unlike most doctors, counsellors don’t give specific advice or tell you what to do. Instead, they serve as skilled listeners who help you to clarify issues, discover your true wishes and feelings, and deal effectively with problems.
The concept of counselling has actually been around for ages, and it reflects the need for one person to seek out help or advice from another person. Counselling as a professional occupation, therefore, derives not from the clinic but from more social settings. It focuses on helping persons resolve problems or role issues related to work or school or family matters. In this setting, the counsellor is a problem solver who through direct advice or non-directive guidance helps the client make rational decisions.
Therefore I would conclude saying that counselling is both an art and science. It is a science because it employs scientific methods in a professional environment to help clients deal effectively with their problems. It is an art because how effective methods may be used, the counsellor must have the knack to handle the client well. So therefore the counsellor must be able to compliment both these attributes to be successful.
