ICP Psychotherapists are Different to Counsellors Because:
- They must spend over three times as long in education and training to become psychotherapists and meet the ICP minimum requirements. Read our Position Paper – January 2015 and click here for a comparison.
What Is The Difference Between A Psychotherapist, A Counsellor, A Psychologist And A Psychiatrist?
Psychotherapists are highly trained mental health professionals who support clients to identify and heal from emotional, mental health, and relational issues.
Psychotherapists often work on deeper psychological issues, trauma, the unconscious, and long-term patterns. Emphasis is placed on the therapeutic relationship as a key component of the healing process.
Psychotherapists train for many years, usually to postgraduate level. They are also required to undergo intensive, long-term personal psychotherapy, ongoing clinical supervision of their practice, and abide by a professional code of ethics.
The work of counsellors can be similar and overlap with psychotherapists. Both use talking therapy to help someone tackle an emotional difficulty. Counselling tends to be more helpful for immediate issues and for short term work. Counsellors train for a number of years, usually at undergraduate level. They are usually required to do some personal psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and abide by a professional code of ethics.
Psychologists and psychiatrists are different. Psychiatrists are medical doctors that diagnose illness, prescribe medication, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies for serious mental illness.
Psychologists have a degree in psychology and work in schools, hospitals, care homes, prisons, as well as private practice. They work to understand people’s behaviour and address psychological distress. One way to think about it is that psychology is the study of the mind, and psychotherapy is about applying insights from psychology to help people.
A psychotherapist may also be a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health professional who has done additional training in psychotherapy.
ICP Psychotherapists are Different to Psychologists Because:
- In fact psychotherapists often have a basis in psychology. The majority graduate with at least a primary degree in psychology but must then go on to a further four years of study and training before they can practice independently as psychotherapists.
ICP Psychotherapists are Different to Other Psychotherapists Because:
- They are the only Irish group who can award the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP), conferred on behalf of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).
- We are highlighting this, as we have to rely on international standards of excellence in the absence of State regulation in Ireland. The ICP is active in working towards putting the profession on a legal footing in Ireland. Meanwhile our registrants are a link and a guarantee of the most exacting standards in Europe being met.