Counselling & Psychotherapy Insurance | Counselling Gold UK (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy UK? ›

A counsellor is more likely to help with a specific difficulty, current problem or surface issue. An example might include a bereavement or a difficulty that is not necessarily rooted in the past. A psychotherapist is more likely to help with more deep-rooted difficulties that affects a client's life.

You can get free talking therapies, including counselling for depression, on the NHS. You do not need a referral from a GP. You can refer yourself directly to a talking therapies service. Or you can get a referral from a GP if you prefer.

Counselling is mostly directive while Psychotherapy is less directive. psychotherapy focuses more on adjustment and psychological problems.

Psychotherapy is typically a more in-depth, long-term process that focuses on a person's feelings and past experiences. It can lead to personal growth. Counseling, meanwhile, is more likely to refer to short-term talk therapy. It focuses on helping a person find solutions to current issues.

A psychotherapist may be a better option if: You have problems that are significantly impacting your life and relationships. You are coping with past trauma, or if you believe situations in the past may be playing a role in your current issues. Your present issues are chronic or recurring concerns.

Counselors tend to work with life challenges on a more short-term basis, while therapists are more likely to treat mental health conditions on an ongoing basis. Psychologists are trained in the theory and practice of mental illness and are more likely to treat serious mental health disorders.

Whatever your reason for considering therapy, if you currently have private medical cover (such as Bupa, Axa, Vitality, Aetna, Allianz, Alliance, WPA, Healix, Simply Health, Cigna International or Aviva), then it might be possible to pay for sessions using your insurance policy.

The cost can vary depending on the type of therapy you choose and the therapist you see, with typical in-person therapists charging around £50-£80 per hour for therapy sessions and online therapy platforms, such as BetterHelp, offering a more affordable option with prices starting at just £48 per week, with no ...

You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS. You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without a referral from a GP, or a GP can refer you. Help is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course.

If you're seeking care for a mental health condition, therapy may be a better option. Counseling may be better if you're seeking support for managing stressful situations. Therapy provides long-term solutions that can help you cope with unwanted thoughts and feelings that may affect your day-to-day functioning.

Can a psychotherapist diagnose? ›

Psychotherapists cannot provide a mental health diagnosis themselves (unless they are a licensed psychologist), though they can provide emotional or behavioural therapy to help support a range of mental health challenges and diagnosed illnesses.

Training usually takes four years, combining study with clinical training under supervision and provided by a number of organisations, which are usually accredited by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or the British Psychoanalytic Council.

It is OK for your therapist to hug you if you give them permission. Most therapists won't initiate a hug with you. But they may give you one if you request it. If they do give you a hug, they should ask you for permission first.

As a psychotherapist, you would: build trusting relationships with individuals, couples or groups. encourage clients to talk about their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. help clients find ways to cope with their issues and to make positive changes.

'Counsellors are experts in listening and helping people achieve their personal goals,' says Dr Snell. 'They don't tend to do diagnosis or assessment, but they will support people with mild to moderate symptoms of mental illness. '

What Is The Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychotherapist? Put simply, a psychotherapist is a broader term that includes every mental health professional that manages mental health or emotional issues, while a therapist is a professional who provides solutions for both physical and mental health.

However, the benefits of CBT show up faster than counselling, as it may take a long time for the gains from counselling to show up. While counsellors often let the patients open up about their feelings, emotions, and past experiences, CBT therapists focus on the present state of the patients' mental health.