Counseling or counselling in California is a form of talk therapy in which you discuss your wide range of mental and other issues with a counselor or mental health professional. You can discuss your problematic thoughts, emotions and other experiences with a counselor related to:
Both therapy and counseling in CA aim to improve an individual's well-being. Are they similar and one thing? No, though they overlap and are used interchangeably, they are subtly different.
Steven M. Sultanoff, a psychologist and professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, differentiates between counseling and therapy in this way:
“Counselors serve as advisers and they can give short-term advice for specific problems. While therapists are facilitators for client growth.”
Counseling | Therapy | |
Depth | Counseling is a short-term solution-oriented treatment | Therapy is an in-depth and long-term treatment |
Purpose | It just tunes mental well-being | It overhauls mental and emotional health by exploring the root causes of traumatic wounds or experiences |
Factors | Counseling works for conscious processes and problems induced by external factors | Therapy usually deals with psychological problems and addresses conscious, subconscious, and unconscious parts of the mind |
Focus Area | It deals with a wide range of concerns (job, relationship, couples, premarital, career, stress, etc.) | It deals with mental health problems, behavioral issues, and emotional wounds |
Specificity | It focuses on identifying and resolving specific issues or current mental/emotional problems | It focuses on a wide range of recurring mental health issues and complex problems |
The following are the aims and objectives of counseling:
Counselors, in California, offer different formats for their counseling services. You can choose any of the following formats based on your specific needs, preferences, accessibility, and comfort level with technology.
This is face-to-face counseling, and you have to visit the counselor's office after scheduling an appointment.
Feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, trauma, or addiction? Dr. Invia A. Betjoseph, a leading California counselor and therapist with 20+ years of experience, can help you reclaim control and build a happier life.
Schedule a free consultation today and start your journey to well-being.
This suits best to the busy individuals who either lack time to visit the counselor's chamber or feel uncomfortable in video calls. And they access the counselor through a phone call.
Since the rise of Covid-19, online counseling in California has become a trend. People from remote areas can now easily access their counselor while sitting at home. Moreover, people with disabilities or who cannot reach the counseling center can use video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype to get counseling.
In this format, you get counseling by sending a text message either through an email or through messaging apps. It suits best to people who prefer written communication though it may not ideally address complex concerns.
In group counseling, individuals meet face-to-face with one or more mental health clinicians to receive counseling. People with common concerns get together for shared support and guidance. One of the benefits of group counseling is that participants learn from their peers' experiences. Group counseling fosters a sense of belonging and reduces the sense of isolation while being inexpensive.
Counseling is a confidential and planned process that involves meeting a counselor to discuss (your current) problems in life. A counselor uses different techniques and tools to help clients identify sources of difficulties in their lives.
As the process continues, the person with difficulties starts overcoming the problems (emotional, psychological, mental, etc.) while learning a new skill and increasing their awareness of themselves and others.
According to Hackney and Cormier, counseling is a series of steps through which client and counselor move.
The 5 steps of the counseling process in California are as follows:
Some people want to talk to a friend when they have emotional difficulties or stress instead of relying on a counselor, while many think that counseling is for people who have severe emotional or mental health issues. How do you see counseling? Below are some common misconceptions about counseling in California:
Feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, trauma, or addiction? Dr. Invia A. Betjoseph, a leading California counselor and therapist with 20+ years of experience, can help you reclaim control and build a happier life.
Schedule a free consultation today and start your journey to well-being.
Dr. Invia A. Betjoseph is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, MFC 44618.
As a Psychotherapist, and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, he provides Psychotherapy, or Counseling and Sex Addiction Treatment for Sexual Addiction and Pornography or Porn Addiction.
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