Definition of Counseling: Difference Bet Guidance, Counseling, Psychotherapy Gladding

Difference bet Guidance, Counseling , Psychotherapy
Gladding
Definition of Counseling
There have always been counselors — people who listen to others and help resolve difficulties
— but the word does not always mean the same thing. One hears of carpet counselors, color-
coordination counselors, pest-control counselors, financial counselors, and so on. These
counselors are most often glorified salespersons. They are to counseling what furniture doctors
are to medicine. Counseling as a profession is relatively new. It grew out of the guidance
movement, in opposition to traditional psychotherapy. To understand what counseling is, you
must first understand these two concepts.
Guidance
Guidance is the process of helping people make important choices that affect their lives, such as
choosing a preferred lifestyle. While the decision-making aspect of guidance has long played an
important role in the counseling process, the concept itself, as an often-used word in
counseling, “has gone the way of ‘consumption’ in medicine” (Tyler, 1986, p. 153). It has more
historical significance than present-day usage. Nevertheless, it sometimes distinguishes a way
of helping that differs from the more encompassing word counseling.
One distinction between guidance and counseling is that while

guidance focuses on helping individuals choose what they
value most, counseling focuses on helping them make
changes. Much of the early work in guidance occurred in
schools: an adult would help a student make decisions, such as
deciding on a vocation or course of study. That relationship
was between unequal — teacher and pupil — and was
beneficial in helping the less-experienced person find direction
in life. Similarly, children have long received “guidance” from
parents, ministers, scout leaders, and coaches. In the process
they have gained an understanding of themselves and their world (Shertzer & Stone, 1981). This
type of guidance will never become passé; no matter what the age or stage of life, a person often
needs help in making choices. Yet such guidance is only one part of the overall service provided
by professional counseling.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (or therapy) traditionally focuses on serious problems

associated with intrapsychic, internal, and personal issues and conflicts.
Characteristically, it emphasizes the following issues (Pietrofesa,
Hoffman, and Splete, 1984; Super, 1993):
 The past more than the present

 Insight more than change
 The detachment of the therapist
 The therapist’s role as an expert
Psychotherapists and clinical psychologists generally use the term

psychotherapy to describe their work. Whether clients receive counseling
or psychotherapy, however, os often determined by the professionals who provide the service
(Trotzer & Trotzer, 1986). Some counseling theories are commonly referred to as therapies and
can be used in either a counseling or therapy setting. There are other similarities in the
counseling and psychotherapy process.
Generally, when making a distinction between psychotherapy and counseling, you should
consider two criteria. First, psychotherapy usually involves a long-term relationship (20 to 40
sessions over a period of six months to two years) that focuses on reconstructive change.
Counseling, on the other hand, tends to be ashort-term relationship (8 to 12 sessions spread
over a period of less than six months) and focuses on the relationship of developmental and
situational problems. Second, counseling is usually provided in outpatient settings
(nonresidential buildings, such as schools or community agencies), whereas therapy is provided
in both outpatient and inpatient settings (residential treatment facilities such as mental
hospitals).
Counseling
Both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) of
the American Psychological Association (APA) have defined counseling on numerous
occasions. Their definitions contain a number of common points, some of which follow.
Counseling is a profession. Practitioners should complete a prescribed course of study usually

leading to a master’s degree or a doctorate degree. Counselors are members of organizations
that set professional and ethical standards and promote state licensing and certification by
national associations (Wittmer & Loesch, 1986). The process of certification and licensing and
the adherence to ethical codes assure the public that the counselor meets minimal educational
and professional standards. Counselors should possess personal qualities of maturity, empathy,
and warmth. Overall, counseling is active and differs considerably from passively listening to
problems.
Counseling deals with personal, social, vocational, empowerment, and educational concerns.
Counselors work only in areas in which they have expertise. These areas may include intra- and
interpersonal concerns related to school or college adjustment, mental health, aging, marriage
or family issues, employment, and rehabilitation.
Counseling is conducted with persons who are considered to function within the “normal
range”. Clients have adjustment, development, or situational concerns; and their problems
require short-term intervention. They are not considered “sick” but “stuck”. Sometimes they just
need information, but usually they are looking for a way to clarify and use the information they
already possess.
Counseling is theory-based and takes place in a structured setting. Counselors draw from a
number of theories and work in a structured environment, such as an office setting, with various
individuals, groups and families.
Counseling is a process in which clients learn how to make decisions and formulate new ways of
behaving, feeling, and thinking. Counselors focus on the goals their clients wish to achieve.
Clients explore their present levels of functioning and the changes that must be made to achieve
personal objectives. Thus, counseling involves both choice and change, evolving through
distinct stages such as exploration, goal setting, and action (Brammer, 1993; Egan, 1990).
Counseling encompasses various subspecialties.
Subspecialties include school or college counseling, marriage
and family counseling, mental health counseling,
gerontological counseling, rehabilitation counseling, addiction
counseling, and career counseling. Each has specific
educational and experimental requirements for the
practitioners.
Thus, counseling can be more precisely defined as a relatively

short-term, interpersonal, theory-based process of helping
persons who are basically psychologically healthy resolve developmental and situational
problems. Counseling activities are guided by ethical and legal standards and go through
distinct stages from initiation to termination . Personal, social, vocational, and educational
matters are all areas of concern; and the profession encompasses a number of subspecialties. A
practitioner must complete a required course of study on either the master’s or doctoral level to
be licensed or certified as a professional.
Reference: Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession, Third Edition, Samuel T. Gladding, 1996.

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Difference bet Guidance, Counseling , Psychotherapy

One distinction between guidance and counseling is that while

Psychotherapy (or therapy) traditionally focuses on serious problems

 The past more than the present

Psychotherapists and clinical psychologists generally use the term

Counseling is a profession. Practitioners should complete a prescribed course of study usually

Thus, counseling can be more precisely defined as a relatively

Reference: Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession, Third Edition, Samuel T. Gladding, 1996.

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