Are counseling and therapy the same thing?

Oftentimes, these two words are used interchangeably. There are some differences, though, but they are subtle. Since they are subtle, most people outside the therapy professions do not really know these differences, but these distinctions are important.

Therapy is an extremely broad term. It can include professions within the mental health field, such as psychotherapists, or other medical professionals outside of mental health, such as physical therapists. Even the term psychotherapy is problematic because it encompasses mental health professionals, such as clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and mental health counselors. Also, there is no legally protected term such as psychotherapy in many states. So in some parts of the United States, literally anyone can claim to be a psychotherapist or do psychotherapy. They need no formal education or training.    

Counseling is a much more precise term in that in all states, being a mental health counselor requires a clinical license from that particular state. To obtain this license, a counselor has to show that they have completed very stringent requirements, including educational and clinical requirements, in addition to passing a difficult clinical exam to show a proficient level of knowledge or working with people. 

At the same time, other mental health professions can also provide mental health counseling as well, such as clinical or counseling psychologists and clinical social workers. These mental health professionals must also pass specific tests in their fields and complete formal requirements set by state laws to provide counseling. Every state in the United States has some formal board or bureaucratic agency responsible for licensing all mental health professions. The goal of these various agencies is to both protect the public from ill-trained non-professionals and create uniformity throughout the mental health professionals.

Therefore, when seeking mental health services, always make sure that person is actively licensed in a mental health profession by a state agency. That will ensure you are working with a professional who has both formal training and experience in the field of counseling.