If you are stuck with your situations and find yourself unable to think , feel or behave in helpful ways, you would be helped by speaking to a mental health professional who could then guide you to the right people for help.
If the issues are recent, adjustment related, need for support and conversational, a Counseling Psychologist can help.
However, if the issues are of a serious nature, threatening your mental health, long-standing, disabling your day-to-day functioning, you would be helped by a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
If your symptoms are connected to neurological or biochemical changes, then you would be required to consult a Psychiatrist and medications will be required. These are more often than not beneficial when used in conjunct with Psychotherapy. Psychiatrists also use ECTs for treatment when needed.
Please note: Only a psychiatrist is capable of prescribing medications. Psychologists can administer psychometric tests and counsel, and Psychotherapists who are trained and certified in a particular school of psychotherapy practice psychotherapy.
]In Individual Psychotherapy, there is only one client or patient who seeks help or relief from his present state or symptoms.
Many times, one family member seeks support to care for an ailing significant other.
In Couples Therapy, there are 2 individuals in a relationship who would like to seek help and support to resolve mutual concerns in their relationship. Sessions will be conducted with both members together. There will be sessions where I will meet each partner individually as well.
In Group Therapy there are several members who are connected by the common goal they wish to move towards.
In family therapy, the family as a unit is the client. They come together in therapy to achieve cohesive goals.
]Always ascertain the therapist’s credentials. There are too many quacks floating around who all call themselves by fancy professional titles.
A Psychiatrist is an MBBS, with an MD in psychiatry or diploma in psychiatric medicine (DPM). Psychiatrists per se aren’t trained in counseling or psychotherapy.
A Psychologist will have a full-time Master’s degree in Psychology and will have specialised in a particular aspect such as Clinical or Counseling. They are trained in counseling.
In addition to these basic qualifications, to be a Psychotherapist one would require certification from a recognised institute to practice a certain form of psychotherapy.
A psychotherapist would be trained in a particular school or mode of psychotherapy. E.g. REBT, CBT, etc.
A psychotherapist is qualified to provide counselling, a counselor may or may not have the necessary training and skills to provide psychotherapy. Psychotherapy generally requires more skill than counseling and is likely to be longer-term treatment gaining insight into chronic emotional, physical or behavioral problems.
In the context of mental health, “counseling” is used to denote brief treatment primarily focussed on behaviour, targeting a particular symptom or situation and offering suggestions or advice for it.
A counsellor is a broadly used term for advisor, as in admission related, financial or spiritual advice. Just about anyone may claim to be a counsellor if they are in the role of giving advice.
You can bring whatever is your concern at the moment relating to the past , present or future to therapy. Be open, honest and discuss matters. A good therapist will encourage this and will show interest in understanding you as a person.
It will help you gain perspective, insight, enhance your skill sets, feel, think and behave in helpful ways, and you will be needed to apply what you learn in therapy. You are most likely to be in a better place than from where you began.
A session usually lasts for 45 minutes. The number of sessions that an individual, couple, family or group may require varies on a case-to-case basis.
At times a single session is sufficient for a patient. At other times, it may take several sessions to achieve a breakthrough. I ensure that I handhold my patients throughout the process. My aim is always to empower patients to gain insights into effective resolution of issues or situations
