There are broad and narrow interpretations of psychological counseling. Psychological counseling in a broad sense includes psychological counseling and psychotherapy, and sometimes psychological examination and psychological test are also listed as the scope of psychological counseling. Psychological consultation in a narrow sense does not include psychotherapy, psychological examination and psychological test, and is only limited to providing psychological assistance and consulting help to visitors through interviews, letters, internet and telephone calls.
Counseling therapy
Regarding the relationship between psychological counseling and psychotherapy, Chen Zhonggeng thinks that there is no essential difference between them, but they are similar in the nature of the relationship, in the process of change and learning, and in the theory of guidance. If there is any difference, it is artificial and not essential.
First, the tasks of work are different. The task of psychological counseling mainly lies in promoting growth, emphasizing the development mode, helping visitors to exert their greatest potential, clearing the roadblocks of normal development, and focusing on prevention. Psychotherapy is mostly to make up for the injuries that patients have formed in the past, and to solve and change the structural obstacles to development.
Second, objects and scenes are different. Psychological counseling follows the educational model, and most of the visitors are normal objects, mainly involving daily life problems, and generally work in schools, units, psychological counseling institutions and other scenes. The object of psychotherapy is patients with abnormal psychology, which plays a role in both clinical and medical situations.
Third, the working methods are different. Psychological counseling should involve visitors' living environment in more ways, such as participating in their direct environment, getting in touch with their families and relatives, making more use of daily living facilities (such as telephone consultation), designing and organizing classes and various group activities. The form of psychotherapy is more in pairs.
Fourth, the nature and content of solving problems are different. Psychological counseling is realistic-oriented, involving consciousness issues, such as career choice, training and education, life and work guidance, study counseling and so on. Therefore, cognitive and logical methods are often used. Psychotherapy involves internal personality problems, and more is to deal with the unconscious.