Integrity CBT

What are the differences between CBT and counselling

MentalPress 3

Whilst both counselling and CBT are talking therapies, there are a number of marked differences between them.  The most apparent is they have a differing Regulatory body, as counsellors are accredited and regulated by the BACP, who state “the counsellor will encourage the expression of feelings and as a result of their training will be able to accept and reflect the client’s problems without becoming burdened by them

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists are accredited by the BABCP.  In terms of practical differences Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy includes the following, which counselling may not offer:

  • Structure and active engagement
  • Working in the here and now
  • Looking at the interaction between cognition, emotion, behaviour and physiology
  • Empirical background, efficacy and outcomes
  • Time limited and brief
  • Collaborative
  • Levels of cognition
  • The use of Socratic questions
  • Guided discovery
  • Rooted in the scientific practitioner model
  • In vivo work
  • Behavioural Experiments
  • The use of case formulation
  • The use of objective measures
  • The setting of goals and targets
  • Implementation of homework

Please note, I am an accredited CBT psychotherapist, and I do not make any claims to be a ‘counsellor’, as I am not accredited with the body that regulates counsellors (BACP).  I believe if I were to claim to offer counselling it would be a breach of my ethical framework.  However, a number of ‘professionals’ claim to offer CBT when they are not qualified to do so.