In the mental health treatment profession, there are many career paths individuals can pursue. Some people choose to put a cap on the amount of education they get, choosing to become licensed counselors. Of course, at the highest level, psychologist and psychiatrists sit at the top of the food chain.
The main distinction between these two career paths is psychiatrists have an additional background in medicine, enabling them to prescribe medications. Both career paths can branch off into either clinical or counseling psychology. While most people are familiar with the term clinical psychology, it begs the question of what is counseling psychology?
What is Counseling Psychology?
The best way to define what is counseling psychology is to point out the differences between clinical vs counseling psychology. As the term clinical psychology would indicate, clinical psychologists will typically deliver their services in a clinical environment. They will also become involved in research projects and work in large hospitals or mental health institutions. Furthermore, they tend to treat people who have serious mental health issues and need extensive therapy in order to stay functional.
Counseling psychologists like to deliver their serves on a smaller scale. They tend to work in smaller clinics and clinics that specialize in specific mental health illnesses. An excellent example of an environment where one would likely find a counseling psychologist is in addiction rehab. Counseling psychologists tend to focus on psychologically and emotionally healthy individuals who are simply dealing with what some people might term as a short-term mental issue. These are the folks for which there is a viable path to a full recovery from the mental health issue.
How a Counseling Psychologist Delivers Services
With a clearer understanding of the differences between clinical vs counseling psychology, the discussion can shift towards what a clinical psychologist does.
For the most part, they offer therapeutic solutions for emotional or mental health problems. They will deliver their services through one-on-one therapy, where the therapist and client work together to identify the issue at hand. After identifying the source of the problem, then both parties can begin working on ways for the client to get past their issues. This will likely include the development of communication and coping skills. Therefore, counseling psychologists measure success by the client’s ability to get past their issues and function normally.
About Encore Health Group
At Encore Health Group in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee, we offer pain management and psychological counseling services Tennessee residents trust. We deal with a wide range of mental health issues as well as the treatment of addictions. We use a modern-day approach to treatment, which includes the customization of treatment programs for each client.
For example, some of our services include:
- Outpatient Mental Health Counseling
- Anxiety and depression treatment
- Pain management
- Interventional pain management
- Medication-assisted therapy
If you or a loved one are dealing with a mental health issue or addiction, the time to get treatment is now. After reading about what is counseling psychology, you should have a good idea of what to expect from treatment at Encore Health Group. If you will allow us to furnish you with more information about our services, we would appreciate the opportunity to do so. Make an appointment today to get started down your own personal path recovery!
