Healthcare service, therefore therapy is used by professionals to treat various mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, personality disorders, affective disorders, and mood disorders. In these cases, sometimes a combined therapy is needed, meaning that with the help of a psychiatrist colleague, medication treatment can occur alongside psychotherapy. The specialist needs extensive methodological knowledge to competently address the existing problem set and symptom list. Examples of such mental health issues include depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, etc.

Within the framework of counseling, we can receive supportive help, life coaching, assistance with difficulties impacting our career, family life, build our self-awareness, self-confidence, or even develop our communication skills. For these issues, a different approach and toolkit are required from professionals, and you will often see different academic backgrounds listed for them.

Clients, of course, are not aware of these background details or the various positions and training 'licenses' within the profession. Even if we officially call a certified psychologist’s activity counseling, the clients will tell their friends they are 'going to therapy', and there's nothing wrong with that, everyone understands what they mean.

In practice, naturally, the picture is more nuanced, and even as a professional, it feels like a real labyrinth due to the many methodological branches. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach. In Hungary, certified psychologists can complete this training – they become cognitive behavioral therapy consultants. Clinical psychologists/psychotherapists can complete it – they become cognitive behavioral therapists. Moreover, individuals without a psychology degree can also complete it – they, too, receive the title of cognitive behavioral therapy consultant. While the methodology itself is psychotherapy, the helping professional cannot call it therapy when using it, as their qualifications do not permit it (exception: clinical psychologist/psychotherapist). This is true for other approaches as well. Did we mention it's quite a labyrinth?!

So, the point is not what we call the helping activity, but that we turn to a competent professional for the given problem, with whom we can work in a trusting, safe relationship on resolving our blockages and mental difficulties.