Counsellor and Counselling. Clarification of What “Talk Therapy” Is

Who is counsellor and what is counselling? Introduction

There are many reasons why individuals seek the services of a psychologist to receive counselling. Counsellors provide treatment for mental health disorders like depression or anxiety. They also help in difficult decision-making processes, offer assistance during life crises, and do marriage and family therapy.

Why would you reach out for expert counselling and whom do you choose as your therapist?

A person seeking to find a counsellor in Dubai to “talk” to might want clarification on the difference between counselling and psychotherapy. All licensed counsellors/psychotherapists through their academic training and internship requirements, have been trained in the “talking cure” called interchangeably counselling or psychotherapy.

Crossover between psychotherapy/psychotherapist and counselling/counsellor

People wildly accept the words “counsellor” and counselling”, because of their neutral and non-stigmatized meaning. The lines between the terms counselling and psychotherapy couldn’t be clearly defined as both words are used interchangeable describing the “talking-cure”.

The term “counselling” is specific for the Anglo-Saxon therapeutic couture. In German there is only one word “psychotherapy” describing the verbal interaction between the therapist and patient.

A professional counsellor should be personable, have good academic credentials, have experience, and hold an appropriate license. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) assures educational standards among mental health professionals applying for licensure in Dubai. The requirements are the education in psychology and additional training in counselling/psychotherapy.

The process of counselling

The reality is that many people will benefit from someone to “talk” to. Getting professional help from a counsellor fosters personal development and addresses and heals symptoms of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD etc.

The counselling sessions can take place over the course of months up to years in variating frequency from weekly to monthly. During counselling sessions, patients talk to their counsellor about their specific problems and how to address and solve them.

Therapeutic relationship in counselling

An essential component of counselling is the trustworthy relationship between the counsellor and the patient. In a collaborative effort with the patient, the counsellor will know what therapies to put in place to effect positive change. Patients use the non-judgmental, safe setting of the session to freely explore their unique, individual problems.

The counsellor takes the role of a guide to facilitate positive change in the patient. Counselling gives patients an opportunity to discover their own answers and take positive steps to resolve their issues.

If indicated, the counsellor will refer to a psychiatrist to assess if medication is advised as an additional treatment approach.

Is the culture and language a factor for counselling?

Dubai counts among the most diverse countries in the world. Someone seeking counselling services might wonder about cultural and linguistic factors that play into the therapy session. Some people feel most comfortable in their native language. In such a case, a German patient would want to seek the services of a German counsellor in Dubai. It is not only the language that can be important, but is can be that a client wishes to speak to someone from their own culture.

Being from the same culture, in many instances, can increase common understanding of values and ideas. It might also be that someone is from a specific culture and intentionally chooses a counsellor from a different culture, as they might value the therapist’s country’s educational system and prominent schools of thought. An example for this could be someone who appreciates an American psychotherapist in Dubai, even though they might be from Europe, the Middle East, or Africa. Clearly, a patient can choose a counsellor who will meet their personal needs and requirements.

Sources

Mayo Clinic. Psychotherapy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/psychotherapy/about/pac-20384616 retrived 28.08.2022

National Library of Medicine: Collaboration in Culturally Responsive Therapy: Establishing A Strong Therapeutic Alliance Across Cultural Lines. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3641707/. Retrieved 28.08.2022.