Chris Wise

One of the ongoing debates in my so-called profession is whether there is any difference between psychotherapy and counselling. This has led to lengthy articles and discussions, without resolution. The arguments often seem to focus on issues that seem beside the point to me but my position is that I don’t make any distinction and I include coaching in that. I prefer the word psychotherapist but am content with either.

However, that we can even have such a discussion implies that we know what this strange so-called helping activity is and how it works and I’m not sure we do. This is how one psychoanalyst, Professor Bob Young, starts one of his papers: "I don’t know how psychotherapy works…"

There are so many approaches now that it is confusing to the so-called layperson what to make of it. The accepted division into three families; Psychodynamic, Humanistic and CBT, doesn’t satisfy everyone, including me. Within each family there is a multiplicity of approaches to exploring the vicissitudes of human experience. One count of this multiplicity of approaches puts it at over 400! What unites us however, includes the following: the ethical commitment we make; a belief in the therapeutic relationship; and respect for the process.

What unites us includes the following: the ethical commitment we make to our clients ; a belief in the therapeutic relationship; and respect for the process.

Coaching is often seen as a different activity with separate training. I see it much more as part of the family of ideas the offers ways of helping people to understand themselves and make the changes they may wish for. It seems to belong within the CBT family but some coaches take a broader, holistic view of their clients and don’t simply focus on solutions. They understand the importance and power of transferences and projections and the value of working somatically.

My Role and Way of Working

As a therapist my role is to listen and talk and accept you for who you are. You may have a clear idea about what brings you to therapy or you may simply feel dissatisfied and unhappy about your life. This might be about your relationships, your current job, or your sense of purpose and meaning in life. Together we can talk and see if we can understand what is going on.

The way I think about life and psychotherapy rests on psychodynamic ideas, influenced by existential thought. I pay attention to the body and often use movement to broaden our exploration. I also use creative media, such as clay, painting, collage and puppets. The ability to play and symbolise is important and this is another way of doing that. I believe in the singularity of the person and his or her unique experience of living. Finding a better way is what brings people into therapy. Whatever those ways are, are theirs to discover. Therapy is an opportunity to talk in confidence to someone outside of your family, friends, colleagues who will not judge you. It is a conversation.

Confidentiality

It is accepted as a given that the therapeutic relationship is a confidential one and while that still generally holds confidentiality is often under threat from without and within the profession. Confidentiality is never absolute but many therapists come under pressure to disclose details of client work when there is not only no need to but also there exists a clear ethical obligation to maintain the boundary. There are legal and ethical issues that cannot be kept confidential but these are reasonably easy to define and we will discuss them.

Supervision

Supervision is, or should be, part of the ethical commitment made by those involved in any helping relationship. It is an opportunity to have a conversation with someone who is also a therapist and can help you to see things you may be missing, or things you could do differently, or issues around counter-transference. This is not a substitute for your personal therapy and the while it offers a wide range of support to you, the supervisee, the intention is safeguarding your client. That is, or should be, the main thought in your supervisor’s mind.