When people begin exploring support for their mental health, they often wonder: Are counselling and therapy the same thing? In Australia, counselling, therapy, and psychotherapy are frequently used interchangeably, which can add to the confusion. While they share similarities, there are also important differences, especially when compared with psychology.
This blog will guide you through what counselling is (and isn’t), how it differs from therapy and psychology, and how it may benefit you if you’re considering support.
What Counselling Is Not
Counselling is not about giving advice or telling you what to do. A counsellor is not a “fixer” and won’t make decisions for you. It is also not a quick one-size-fits-all solution; meaningful change takes time, effort, and a supportive therapeutic relationship.
Importantly, counselling is not the same as simply talking to a friend. While friends may listen, a counsellor is a trained professional who uses evidence-based methods to help you process emotions, build skills, and create lasting change in a safe and confidential space.
What Counselling Is
Counselling is a collaborative, client-centred process where you work with a trained professional to explore challenges, thoughts, and emotions. It’s focused on understanding your current situation, identifying patterns, and finding practical strategies to move forward.
In Australia, counsellors and psychotherapists may use a blend of approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, or Clinical Hypnotherapy, depending on your needs. At Bloom Hypnotherapy, for example, counselling is combined with psychotherapy and hypnotherapy to address both surface-level challenges and deeper root causes.
Unlike psychology, which often involves assessment, diagnosis, and structured treatment planning, counselling tends to be more flexible, person-centred, and focused on empowerment and wellbeing. With this in mind, we do utilise structured treatment planning where appropriate to support better therapeutic client outcomes.
What Counselling Can Do
Counselling offers many benefits, including:
- Reducing anxiety and stress – Developing coping skills, calming techniques, and new perspectives. Learn more about hypnotherapy for anxiety.
- Healing trauma – Processing difficult experiences safely and building resilience. Read about trauma counselling.
- Managing addictions – Addressing unhelpful patterns with alcohol, smoking, pornography, or other habits. See how hypnosis for addiction can help.
- Supporting relationships and intimacy – Working through issues of communication, trust, or sexual dysfunction.
- Building confidence and self-esteem – Helping you reconnect with your strengths and values.
Research supports these outcomes. The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) highlights counselling as an evidence-based practice that can improve well-being, mental health, and personal growth.
Who Needs Counselling?
Anyone can benefit from counselling. You don’t need to be in crisis or have a clinical diagnosis to seek support. People come to counselling when they:
- Feel overwhelmed by stress or anxiety
- Are struggling with past trauma
- Want to break free from addictions or unhelpful habits
- Experience challenges in relationships or intimacy
- Are navigating life changes such as grief, career shifts, or parenthood
- Simply want to understand themselves better and grow
If you’re experiencing ongoing mental health concerns such as severe depression, complex trauma, or conditions that may require diagnosis and medical treatment, a registered psychologist or psychiatrist may also be involved. Many people find the best outcomes from counselling when they seek ongoing support outside times of crisis or high stress, so they are better equipped when crises arise. Building emotional intelligence is an essential aspect of what we do during sessions.
Counselling vs Therapy vs Psychology
- Counselling and Therapy (Psychotherapy): In Australia, these terms often overlap. Both involve talking with a trained professional to improve mental health and well-being. Psychotherapy tends to be deeper and longer-term, while counselling often focuses on present-day challenges. Many practitioners, like myself, use both approaches together.
- Psychology: Psychologists are regulated by AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) and often provide assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment for clinical conditions. Psychology is sometimes eligible for Medicare rebates under the Better Access scheme.
In practice, there is much overlap, and the right choice depends on your needs and the therapeutic relationship.
Several studies have shown that the therapeutic relationship is the most important component of positive therapeutic outcomes.
Taking the First Step
If you’ve been wondering whether counselling or therapy is right for you, the answer may be simpler than you think: it’s less about the label and more about finding the right professional fit.
At Bloom Hypnotherapy, I offer counselling, psychotherapy, and clinical hypnotherapy both in-person (Yarrabilba, Logan, SE Queensland) and online across Australia. My goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and evidence-based space where you can work through challenges, rediscover strengths, and move toward the life you want.
If you’d like to learn more, explore my services in anxiety and stress, trauma, addiction, or sexual dysfunction.
Final Thoughts
Counselling and therapy are not precisely the same, but they are closely related, and both can help you create meaningful change. While psychology has a more clinical and diagnostic role, counselling and psychotherapy focus on providing a safe, supportive relationship where healing and growth can take place.
If you’re ready to explore how counselling could help you, I’d love to support you on that journey.
