Have you ever been confused by the terms counselling, psychotherapy, and therapy? As a Master’s-level therapist (Registered Counselling Therapist) who provides personal and career counselling, I am licensed with the NSCCT. Sometimes clients wonder what they bill under with insurance companies: is it psychotherapy, clinical counselling, counselling therapy or therapy?!
Despite these regional differences and nuances with insurance companies, they ultimately, all refer to the same practice. I practice counselling therapy as that is the language used with my licensing body and within Nova Scotia provincial legislation. But, this article aims to clarify the language around these professions, making it easier for the public to understand and access mental health services. For clarity, please read on:
Therapy: A Broad Term
Therapy is an umbrella term covering various practices aimed at helping individuals overcome challenges and improve their health. Just as “trades” encompasses different professions, “therapy” includes disciplines like massage therapy, recreation therapy, psychology, and counselling for mental health, just to name a few. They all require different levels of education and training, but you can say that they’re all different types of therapists.
Advocating for Clarity
The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is working to clarify that counselling and psychotherapy are essentially the same – although protected and regulated under different legislations:
“Counselling/psychotherapy is the skilled and principled use of relationship to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth and the optimal development of personal resources. The overall aim is to provide an opportunity for people to work towards living more satisfyingly and resourcefully.
It is not possible to make a generally accepted distinction between counselling and psychotherapy. There are well founded traditions which use the terms interchangeably and others which distinguish between them. If there are differences, then they relate more to the individual psychotherapist’s or counsellor’s training and interests and to the setting in which they work, rather than to any intrinsic difference in the two activities.”
– CCPA, THE PROFESSION & REGULATION
The aim with CCPA’s advocacy initiatives is to make it easier for individuals to access mental health services and for professionals to bill accurately by encouraging insurance companies to recognize these terms as interchangeable.
In Conclusion
Counselling, psychotherapy, and therapy are different terms used for often same thing, depending on the province in which you access these services. Whether you seek support for personal growth, mental health challenges, or relationship issues, a qualified and licensed therapist, counsellor, or psychotherapist can provide the help you need.
*(Notice Canadian spelling in this blog, eh?)