Professionals working in these roles undergo different training and tend to deal with different types of problems, although there is also considerable overlap in their work.

Psychiatry is the study of mental health problems and their diagnosis, management and prevention. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialised in psychiatry. They will typically work in the NHS or private health care settings. They can prescribe and monitor medication and some can offer therapy.

Psychology is the study of people: how they think, behave and interact. An applied psychologist will have an undergraduate degree in psychology before embarking on professional training at doctoral level. Psychologists can specialise in a number of areas, such as mental health, educational and occupational psychology. Titles such as clinical psychologist, educational psychologist, occupational psychologist are protected and can only be used by people that have undertaken a high level of training and are registered with and regulated by the relevant organisation (i.e. HCPC). Psychologists help people by undertaking assessments and providing an explanation for what is happening and giving advice or a treatment plan to improve a situation. They may also offer support through talking therapies.

A counsellor is someone who has studied at a diploma or degree level. Counsellors can work in universities, private practice and some health care settings.

Psychotherapy refers to talking therapies. It is conducted with individuals, groups, couples and families. Psychotherapists help people to overcome stress, emotional and relationship problems or troublesome habits. There are many different approaches in psychotherapy, which include: cognitive behavioural therapies, psychodynamic therapies, systemic and family psychotherapy, humanistic and integrative psychotherapies.

There are similarities and overlaps between counselling and psychotherapy. Similarly, they do not have to have an undergraduate degree in psychology. However, Psychotherapists tend to have longer and more intensive training than Counsellors. A Psychotherapist is someone who has trained to degree level, masters level or beyond. Also, a psychotherapist may be a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional, who has had further specialist training in psychotherapy.

A further distinction between counselling and psychotherapy is that counselling tends to focus on more immediate, external difficulties, and the work is often short term and at a lower frequency. In contrast, psychotherapists, while working with whatever is troubling you now, as counsellors do, tend also to work at a deeper level. A good psychotherapist can be expected to help find connections between whatever is going on now and any underlying patterns, beliefs and expectations in someone’s life which can then, over time, be better understood and resolved. They may notice the significance of something that may have never been thought about before, and may be able to help recognise and process any unspoken distress that is stored inside someone.

It can ne useful to seek an initial consultation with a couple of psychotherapists before making a decision. A reputable therapist will usually offer an initial exploratory session with no further obligation.

Some therapists may also offer a free brief discussion to answer any immediate questions.

It is worth keeping in mind that working with children can be more complex than working with adults. Therefore, assessments can take longer than it would in adult psychotherapy. It is also important for this reason, that a psychotherapist has the appropriate training and adequate experience in working with children and sometimes with the specific presenting difficulty or situation.

Psychotherapists working with children should have clear child protection policies or procedures in place to protect children and themselves. They should work within their expertise and discuss with families, referrals to other professionals when required and appropriate.

Other useful questions to consider when meeting a psychotherapist include:

Does the therapist provide a private room and regular sessions?

Are you and your child treated with respect, and listened to carefully and constructively?

Does the therapist maintain boundaries and respond thoughtfully to appropriate questions?

In any psychological treatment there is a risk of feeling worse before you feel better. Therefore, the behaviour of some children can worsen before it improves. For example, children sometimes find that a session can stir up unwelcome thoughts, feelings or memories. This can make them dismissive or critical of their therapist and they may want to avoid going to future therapy sessions.

Children can work hard during therapy and this can take a lot of emotional energy. Most children, including those who are critical or dismissive about therapy, become attached to the work and find holiday breaks or cancelled sessions difficult.