Different kinds or categories of problems ...

feeling too much: confused, upset, anxious, angry, jealous, guilty, frightened, ashamed, envious …	not feeling anything (or not enough): depressed, stuck, down, numb, paralysed, bored, empty, aloof, withdrawn, lonely
un-managable thoughts, feelings & behaviours (that are problematic or out of control) difficult relationships recurrent negative or self-destructive patterns irrational reactions including trauma reactions like flash backs, psychosomatic pain, disturbing dreams & fantasies, eating disorders, substance misuse, addictions,	in summary, generally speaking: sense of personal development through life stages and transitions in summary: mind, feelings, behaviour, body: difficult thoughts, disturbing feelings, destructive actions, psychosomatic dis-ease
presence of difficult and disturbing experiences; too intense and overwhelming	absence of desirable or humanly necessary experiences

In response to these problems, counselling and psychotherapy have different things to offer, but basically they have much in common. Both counsellors and psychotherapists aim to provide ...

steady and reliable attentiveness and understanding a warm, supportive presence an empathic attitude a confidential safe space neutral, professional attitude, skills and knowledge expertise in understanding how the human psyche functions regular, reliable, robust support psychological help with difficult life experiences (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, relationships) a profound interest in the workings of your own mind

a listening ear; “I hear you!”; attention to YOUR inner reality; “I need somebody to understand my reality!” on YOUR side “I need somebody to be on my side!” “I get a sense of how you feel!” “Whatever you say here, remains between the two of us!” “There are many ways of understanding what happens inside you!” “I will be here to meet you at the same time each week!”

Both counsellors and psychotherapists typically do NOT provide ...

advice, instruction, exhortation pressure to change or to do something, or to do things differently medical diagnosis, advice, remedies or prescriptions practical help, life support skills, legal or Citizen's Advice, or Befriending social work interventions psychiatric treatment

Focus on the inner world of the psyche rather than external reality ...

• Rather than relying on the manipulation of external reality, both counselling and psychotherapy work with the forces of the human psyche, the inner world. We rely on a faith that the internal workings of the human mind – the power, potential, creativity of internal, subjective reality.
• counselling and psychotherapy both work with psychological processes, often unconscious and not attended to. These disciplines build on the experience that given the right environment, awareness and empathic responses and input, the psyche has the capacity to unfold, to heal, to re-organise itself and evolve human mind to adapt

In response to psychological problems, counselling tends to provide ...

In the field of counselling and psychotherapy we have a great variety of diverse approaches, each consisting of their own theories and methods, so it’s difficult to say anything generally valid about it.

• attention to the present crisis on its own terms
• “I need to talk things through!’ “I need somebody to talk to who will listen attentively, non-reactively and with and open mind.” “I need someone to be on my side, to see things through my experience!”

In response to psychological problems, psychotherapy tends to provide ...

a space to work through the deeper, long-term roots and patterns underlying current difficulties	2
	“I need somebody to help me understand my patterns and behaviour – somebody who does not have their own agenda in changing them!”

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