Mental and emotional health is becoming a priority for many individuals and organizations as a whole. It has a heavy impact on relationships and work performance. If you live or work in Southport, Liverpool and have any issues affecting your mental health, you may need to find support. However, many people aren’t sure of the kind of help they need, between counselling and therapy.
Understanding the difference between these two services will help you know which specialist and institution to seek help from. Hence, this guide will provide you with basic information regarding counselling and therapy in Liverpool, where to find the services and what to expect in terms of budget.
Counselling vs Therapy
Counselling simple terms, this service deals with helping people affected by specific mental problems that arise from life challenges such as stress at work, relationship challenges, grief, or major life changes. The methodology behind counselling isn’t primarily medication, but opening up and talking about the issue at hand and the root causes.
The specialist focuses on listening carefully and understanding your problems, how you have been affected mentally and emotionally. The continuous sessions are practical and supportive, each giving you time to provide closure and suggest mutually agreed solutions. The objective is to make you understand the situation, give you back your courage, esteem, to deal with it in a better and healthier way, so that your life can move forward.
On the other hand, therapy goes deeper into interrogating your emotional world to deal with a persistent mental problem. It aims to identify persistent issues or challenges that have been recurring in your life. A case of therapy is one that results in more serious problems, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or persistent emotional pain.
Unlike counselling, where you talk to your specialist about recent occurrences, therapy explores things that happened a long time ago. It could be experiences during your childhood days, effects from past relationships or some old behaviours that are affecting your current life. Therapy requires more sessions to be effective because it addresses issues that occurred a long time ago. It also seeks to find an everlasting solution. The process is tough to go through and persistence is key to getting the desired results.
Therefore, looking at the descriptions, it is clear that the main difference is the focus and how deep the sessions are. That means counselling goes for a few sessions and doesn’t go into deeper and long-term life issues. On the other hand, therapy may go for months and focus on deeper emotional trends. While counseling helps you deal with current minor issues you are aware of, therapy helps you identify the triggers or causes of certain feelings or behaviors that keep coming back.
Where to Find Counselling and Therapy Services
Southport Liverpool has many and varied specialists in counselling services. Some of the best counselling services are found as private practices. Usually, counseling sessions are held through physical meetings, but may also be held online if both parties can agree. This private counselling option in Liverpool can be found through online searches or directories, or referred by your general practitioner. Though these services come at an extra cost, they are very convenient, flexible and effective. The team also comprises highly experienced and qualified counsellors.
Alternatively. you can also get a referral for counselling services through your general practitioner, especially for minor issues to local services or NHS-supported programs. However, the public institutions are characterised by varied waiting times. They are, however, free or cheaper and recommended for persons living under tight financial situations.
Therapy services are also available in Liverpool, but most of the best are offered by private therapists. The type of therapy offered depends on the nature of your needs. If working on a tight budget, the National Health Service therapy is also an option. But, like for counseling, the waiting lists can be longer than expected. That’s why people choose private therapy. Online therapy is also becoming available, especially towards the final sessions, for ease of access for people in remote areas.
The Cost of Counselling and Therapy
The costs in Liverpool for private counselling sessions may be between £40 to £60 per session. That depends on the chosen provider, but the fees are always negotiable to fit your income. For the general public, under-budget, charitable organisations and community services have come up with free or low-cost counselling. Universities also extend a hand to students at no extra cost, while NHS counselling is usually free.
Therapy is more expensive than counselling, regardless of whether it is offered by a private specialist or under NHS, or at a community centre, due to its longer-term nature. Private therapy also depends on the institution and the therapist’s experience offering you the service. However, you may find the price ranges from £45 to £80 per session. As with counselling, NHS therapy is free, despite the uncertainty of waiting times.
