Counselors and Therapists

There has been considerable professional debate, in the United States and elsewhere, regarding the precise nature ofthe functions and roles fulfilled by counselors, therapists, psychotherapists, and others who provide mental health services. Professionals using different names, such as counseling psychologist, counselor, and therapist, are viewed quite differently by the lay public. Much of the confusion centers on who provides what services, in what contexts, and to what end or goal.

A common differentiation is that counselors concern themselves more with normative stresses, adjustment difficulties, and life transitions, whereas therapists focus primarily on mental illnesses and psychological disorders. A more comprehensive view recognizes the extensive overlap in the work ofthe professionals using [Page 543]these designations, while, at the same time, acknowledging differences in the relative emphasis they afford to some issues. Increased clarity in this regard can facilitate an enhanced sense of professional identity for mental health practitioners and greater awareness among consumers of mental health services.