Brian Duncan

Counsellor and Psychotherapist

About Counselling and Psychotherapy

What is the difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy?

While these words are often used interchangeably, I prefer to differentiate between the two.

Counselling tends to be focussed on a specific issue that a person is currently struggling with in their lives. Examples might be bereavement, separation addiction etc.

Psychotherapy, while also focussing on current issues in a person's life, will tend to go deeper with the work, often exploring repeating patterns in one's life and relationships. Psychotherapy, as such, will often involve looking back over one's earlier life experiences and explore how they might shape one's life as an adult. Sometimes old wounds may need to be revisited to allow full healing to happen.

What is the general goal of Counselling and Psychotherapy?

The general goal of counselling / psychotherapy is to provide you with a space in which you feel safe to explore the issues that are causing you difficulty in your life.

Through very comprehensive training, a good Psychotherapist will have developed the skills needed to put you at ease as you embark on this journey of exploration.

I work in a very compassionate and non-judgemental way and will always respect the pace at which you may wish to work at.

How long does counselling last for?

This very much depends on your individual needs. Generally, in an initial consultation, I will work out with you what your needs are and what you are hoping to achieve out of your counselling. I often arrange an initial eight sessions after which we review progress. At this stage you will have a good idea if the counselling is meeting your needs. Clients will often then arrange further sessions with set goals in mind for themselves.