What is the difference between Psychotherapy and Counselling?

There are many reasons that people seek a therapist to help them, you may be seeking therapy for depression, anger management, anxiety, bereavement, sleep problems, relationship issues and stress. Or you may simply have a sense that something is not right and you want to explore what that is.

If you have a question about therapy or counselling, you may find the answer below.

You will also find out more about each individual therapists’ particular interests and specialisms from their profiles. To view the therapists’ profile page visit ‘Islington Therapists’.

How do I go about choosing a therapist?

Research shows again and again that the effectiveness of the therapy or counselling is affected by the relationship you have with your therapist or counsellor. It is therefore important that you find someone who you feel comfortable with and who you can build a trusting relationship with. Please feel free to chat on the telephone to a few therapists or to meet several before deciding who you would like to work with. The initial session is an opportunity for both you and the therapist to decide if you would like to work together.

If you are uncertain which psychotherapist will best match your needs then please contact Elisabetta Cittadini by email, and she will help you find which therapist might best suit you and the subject that you would like to explore. Elisabetta's Contact Details drelisabetta.cittadini@gmail.com

If you are in crisis and need to speak to someone urgently

Please note, we are not an emergency service and it may take time for you to arrange an initial appointment with one of our therapists. If you need to speak to someone urgently, please consider contacting one the following services:

The Samaritans Open 24 hours, seven days a week:

Call 116 123

www.samaritans.org

Specific Samaritan link on wanting to kill yourself: I want to kill myself

If speaking to someone over the phone does not feel right for you, you can make contact via email to: jo@samaritans.org Befrienders Suicide support befrienders.org

How long does a session last?

Generally sessions are between 45 mins to 1 hour. Some therapists have this info at the end of their profiles. If not, please ask individual therapists.

How long will it take?

This depends very much on you and how you work, what you put into the work in between sessions and what you are working on. Your therapist and you will review your work regularly so that you can get a sense of how it is going and how long you might continue working. Most therapists will work short term for dealing with immediate issues or events in a defined period or longer term with an open ended contract with regular reviews for working more deeply. This can be discussed with your therapist in your first session. Some forms of therapy are quite focused and and are shorter term such as CBT.

How much will it cost?

After the initial session, and assuming you decide to work together, most therapists ask for a minimum weekly commitment at the beginning to ensure the relationship has a good chance to develop and so that the work can get underway. Our therapists charge between £60 – £100 per session. Some therapists are willing to work on a fortnightly basis and some have low cost sessions available.

What if I am on anti-depressants?

Psychotherapists do not prescribe anti-depressants. These will be prescribed by your GP or psychiatrist. Counsellors and therapists often work with people who are taking anti-depressants or support them as they come off anti-depressants.

What is the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?

These terms are often used interchangeably. However, counselling is often used to refer to shorter term more focussed work, dealing with a particular issue whereas psychotherapy or therapy is often used to describe longer term work, which may be more in depth.

What issues or areas of concern can I bring to therapy?

Anything! Human experience is extraordinarily varied, so the following isn’t an exhaustive list, but it may be helpful to see some topics that people often come to discuss: