What are the different schools of thought for therapy, and what do all the therapy qualifications mean?
There are several main schools of thought within therapy, the Psychodynamic approach, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and person-centred approach (also known as the humanistic approach, frequently used as a technique in Gestalt therapy).
The psychodynamic approach
This approach focuses on your unconscious thoughts that originate from childhood, and how these are expressed in the way we currently think and behave. Based on Freudian thinking, it suggests that our childhood urges emerge from our unconscious later in life, and we are driven to repeat this behaviour. Psychodynamic therapy uses free association, encouraging you to share your thoughts freely. It aims to make the unconscious conscious, thus gaining deeper insight into your thought processes.
But what does this mean?
This approach explores childhood experiences and unconscious thoughts, aiming to gain insight into current behaviour through understanding the influence of past urges.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT looks at how you think about the world, and how this affects the way you feel and behave. The behaviour we engage in is often learned from our environment when we were younger, and in some cases may have been a coping mechanism to keep ourselves safe. As our behaviour is learned we can help ease our discomfort by unlearning negative behaviours through therapy, redirecting our brains to consider things differently. Noticing these unhelpful thought processes and behaviours and replacing them with new, positive ways of thinking can positively impact our future feelings and behaviour.
But what does this mean?
CBT examines how our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviours. Unlearning negative behaviours and adopting positive thought patterns allow us to work on our wellbeing and future behaviours.
The person-centred approach
The person-centred approach presupposes that everyone is born with the innate capacity for psychological growth, providing that we are in a safe environment with sufficient resources. Sometimes you can get out of touch with the ability to self-actualise (psychological growth), as you have taken on the evaluations of others as your own, and allowed these to weigh you down. Person-centred therapy is a form of non-directive therapy, which means that the direction always comes from the client, not that the therapy has no direction. Offering empathy and unconditional positive regard, the therapist allows you to accept who you are and reconnect with yourself and your psychological potential.
But what does this mean?
Person-centred therapy emphasises that everyone has the ability of psychological growth. A person-centred therapist will take an empathetic, non-judgmental approach, allowing clients to lead sessions to reconnect with themselves and grow.
What is the ‘best’ approach?
There is no explicit best approach, as each model has its strengths and weaknesses, and some individuals may prefer one over another, given the severity or complexity of their issue. It is also important to consider that different therapeutic approaches come at different costs and some may require a longer course of treatment.
Therapy qualifications
So, onto the different types of accreditations. There are various counselling and psychotherapy qualifications, and sometimes it can be confusing to figure out the differences between them. Below we have listed several common counselling and psychotherapy qualifications, briefly describing each qualification.
It is also important to note that a psychotherapist and a counsellor are not the same thing, they require different training for each accreditation. Psychotherapy involves a higher level of training and investigates past issues in greater depth, whereas, counselling focuses on resolving current issues.
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The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy is a leading organisation and a registered charity that sets certification standards for therapeutic practice and provides information for therapists, clients and the public.
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The UK Council for Psychotherapy is a major professional body for psychotherapists in the UK, promoting high standards of training and practice. The main difference between the BACP and the UKCP is that the UKCP is an association of psychotherapists, whereas the BACP comprises psychotherapists and counsellors.
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The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society is a well-established body for professional counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK, committed to maintaining a high standard of training and therapeutic practice. They believe that the relationship between the counsellor and client is essential for positive therapeutic outcomes.
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The Association of Cognitive Analytic Therapy are responsible for setting appropriate standards of training and practice. They provide accreditation of courses that meet their standards, continual professional development training, and a register of approved practitioner members.
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The British Psychological Society represents psychologists in the UK and sets standards for education, training, and practice in psychology. They support and enhance how psychology is used and developed, to disseminate reliable knowledge and increase public awareness of psychology. They are well-known for their Code of Ethics and Conduct.
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The Health and Care Professions Council are a regulatory body that holds a register to ensure that therapists and counsellors meet high-quality standards. They keep a Register of health and care professionals who meet their standards for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health, and investigate client complaints.
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BABCP -British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
BPC - British Psychoanalytic Council
COSCA - Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland
EAGT - European Association for Gestalt Therapy
IACP - Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
UKATA - UK Association for Transactional Analysis
UKAHPP - UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
UPCA - Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association
