People are often confused by the different terms: counselling, therapy, psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, etc. Let us clarify it and help you understand these terms and what Paraklesis offers.
There is no generally accepted distinction between counselling and psychotherapy. There are well founded traditions which use the terms interchangeably and others which distinguish between them. Paraklesis uses the terms interchangeably.
Dr Mervin is a psychopharmacologist, counselling-therapist (psychotherapist), and couples counselling therapist - and not a licensed psychologist.
He is a pharmacist who, as Professor of Counselling psychology, has specialised in pharmacologically informed counselling and psychotherapy. His extensive training (doctorate in counselling), counsellor-education and teaching (professor of counselling psychology), and therapeutic private practice experience, uniquely equips him and enables Paraklesis to provide you with pharmacologically-informed-psychotherapy of excellence.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialised in psychiatry and are therefore licensed by their perspective medical boards to practice medicine, do psychotherapy, and prescribe medication. Family physicians are also licensed by their respective medical boards and can prescribe psychotropic medication, but they do not normally engage in psychotherapy. Psychologists in Alberta require a masters degree in counselling psychology, specified supervised counselling experience, and a comprehensive exam to be accepted and registered by the college of psychologists. In general, psychologists are mostly PhD clinical professionals (in some countries/states/provinces, like Alberta Canada, there are still masters level psychologists) who are licensed by their perspective psychology boards/colleges to practice.
Some countries/states/provinces also require counsellors and therapists to register with a professional organisation - this is currently only a requirement in Quebec (psychotherapists) and Nova Scotia (counselling therapists). Ontario and British Columbia is in the process of requiring registration for counselling therapists, but it is not a requirement in any of the other provinces yet. The term "psychologist" is a protected title throughout Canada, but the title “psychotherapist” is only protected in Quebec.
In general, counselling is a caring relationship in which one person tries to help another deal more effectively with the stresses of life (Collins 1986 Innovative Approaches to Counselling 1986 p73). The APA (1997) defines counselling as “the application of mental health, psychological and human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioural and systemic intervention strategies that address wellness, personal growth, and career development, as well as pathology.”
Care-giving (lay counselling) is the broad, inclusive ministry of mutual healing and growth within a community. Lay-counsellors (pastors, elders, youth workers, other caregivers, and community workers), are para-professional caregivers who have specific training (usually a one-year higher certificate or equivalent). They come alongside others with care and counselling and work, within the limitations and boundaries of their training, as part of the mental healthcare service providers.
Counsellors (psychotherapists) normally require at least a masters’ level specialised academic training. Counselling is the utilisation of a variety of healing (therapeutic) methods to help people handle their problems and crisis more growthfully and thus experience healing of their brokenness. Psychotherapy is the utilisation of more long-term, reconstructive therapeutic methods when growth is deeply and/or chronically diminished by need-depriving early life experiences or by multiple crisis in adult life (Clinebell 1984).
Clinebell (1984) further says that psychotherapy tends to sharpen one’s interpersonal awareness and makes previously unused facets of one’s personality available for more person-enhancing relationships. It is a means of removing the inner blocks that diminish the ability of one’s personality to be the fine effective instrument for achieving wellbeing. Psychotherapists (counsellors) should therefore be ‘highly trained professionals’ in counselling psychotherapy - having received theoretical and practical (microskills) training and receiving clinical supervised practical experience.
Paraklesis Counselling is committed to provide compassionate caring with therapeutic excellence!
