The terms psychotherapy and counselling can be used interchangeably, each therapy overlaps to a certain degree and it’s worth noting that psychotherapists are trained to practice both psychotherapy and counselling.

There are differences however and psychotherapy is considered to be a longer term therapy that is appropriate for a wider range of issues including complex mental health disorders, complex trauma and longstanding or chronic issues which can be emotional or physical.

In general psychotherapists adopt an approach whereas you are encouraged to look back and explore your earlier experiences and life events to see if these influence or contribute to your current issues. Psychotherapy allows you to take an in-depth look at yourself and your thought processes and the aim is to help you to acknowledge and identify the underlying causes for your current issues which can then be worked through.

Psychotherapy gives you the opportunity to take a detailed look at how you feel about yourself and others in your world. The psychotherapist will actively help you to explore your relationships with others, especially those closest to you, and help you to form your own insights and solutions which may include working towards changing the way that you behave, communicate or interact.

As the term talking therapy suggests psychotherapy usually involves talking about your issues but sometimes other therapeutic approaches may be incorporated into psychotherapy sessions. Depending on the psychotherapist these may include; eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), creative play therapy or sandplay therapy, psychodrama, mindfulness and relaxation.

Creative elements are particularly appropriate in child psychotherapy. The use of creative play, art or sandplay therapy can help a child or young person to look at and process painful or emotional issues. One of the main aims of child therapy is to facilitate integration, whereby links between thoughts, emotions and behaviours are made and developed. Developing a coherent narrative about life experiences is crucial for integration and healing, and this can work towards helping to improve self-esteem and confidence.

Psychotherapy sessions are usually 50 minutes long and regular weekly attendance is recommended to ensure effective therapeutic process. Regular attendance is especially important at the start of psychotherapy so that a collaborative client and therapist working relationship can be established.

Counselling is considered to be appropriate if you have a specific symptom or a clearly identifiable issue that you would like to work through. Counselling is suitable for individuals and couples and some clients may undertake counselling for the short term for a particular issue, while others may use counselling for considerably longer.

There are some key differences between psychotherapy and counselling. In counselling past or earlier life experiences and events are not explored in depth and the main focus is the symptom or issue, along with the practical ways of how to deal with it.

This is especially the case with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) where the main aim is to look at the way you think and behave. The therapist will provide guidance and advice and will work with you to help you to see things more clearly or from a different perspective. CBT encourages you to identify and challenge negative thought patterns, feelings and behaviours with the aim of making positive changes. The therapist will help you to formulate strategies to enable change and will provide support as you put your strategies into practice.

Some psychotherapists practice a combination of counselling and psychotherapy and adopt an integrative approach, which incorporates elements and theories from both therapies. In essence integrative psychotherapists consider each person as a whole, they look at each person’s needs, abilities and beliefs and then tailor the best therapeutic approach.

Counselling sessions are usually 50 minutes long. Regular attendance is recommended so that you can get the most from your counselling sessions, this is especially important if you’re considering counselling for a shorter period of time.

Psychology is the scientific study of the connection between the human mind and behaviour. Psychology has connections with medical and social sciences and it has vast scope and many modalities. Many different definitions are used to describe psychology but in fundamental terms psychology is about behaviour and it examines how our mind influences how we communicate, think and feel.

Psychology is suitable for individuals and couples and in psychology sessions a psychologist will observe and use tests to examine and assess your behaviour, thoughts and feelings to establish your levels of mental and emotional functioning.

The psychologist will then determine the underlying causes of your problems or issues and will discuss the thought processes and strategies that you can adopt to try and deal with your problems in a more effective way. The psychologist will not provide answers for you but they will actively support, guide and work with you as you implement your strategies and work towards meaningful change.

The amount of psychology sessions required will differ from client to client and will depend on the presenting issues. Psychology sessions are usually 50 minutes long and regular attendance is important to maintain therapeutic process, especially if you’re seeing a psychologist for a limited period of time.

We provide a range of specialist psychological services including;

• Clinical supervision for psychotherapists, counsellors and psychologists and other aligned professionals from the private, public and voluntary sectors. Clinical supervision is vital for safe clinical practice and it also has a restorative, reflective and educational function. We offer clinical supervision in individual and group formats.

• Reflective practice for caring professionals including mental health professionals, education professionals, social workers, specialist nurses and residential and refuge workers. Reflective practice is in group format and it provides a safe, contained space where work impacts on both the individual and the wider team can be explored. Reflective practice lets colleagues effectively reflect on their casework and their complex team or client dynamics, and it aims to build resilience and reduce stress and the risk of burnout.

• Bespoke training including the CPD Adoption Course which covers the fundaments of working with adoption. This course is designed for anyone who works with adoptive families or children and young people in a facilitative, therapeutic or helping role. This course looks at the impacts of adoption for everyone involved and how the understandings gained can enable more appropriate and effective therapeutic intervention and care planning. This course also covers the latest attachment science and the evidence-based developmental theory of attachment, the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment & Adaptation (Patricia Crittenden, 2003). For more information about the CPD Adoption Course please visit www.raphaellopezdesoto.com

• Specialist child and young person psychotherapy via the Adoption Support Fund (ASF). We carry out assessment and provide specialist therapeutic intervention for adoptive children and young people and their adoptive families. For eligibility and detailed information about ASF please visit www.gov.uk/guidance/adoption-support-fund-asf

• Specialist assessment, forensic assessment and expert witness service. We provide a UK nationwide service and the assessments include full evidence-based analysis which gives a comprehensive understanding of how and why individuals act and behave the way that they do. The assessments include Specialist Child & Adolescent Forensic Assessment, Child Care Proceedings & Child Protection Assessment, Adult Forensic Assessment, Global Family Assessment and Complex Case Consultation. For more information please visit Absolute Forensic Assessments at www.afa.expert