The confusion that results from not understanding the various kinds of available help counselling, therapy, and psychiatric care can lead to a paralysis of one's decision making ability. In the remainder of this column, I will attempt to provide some definitions that could help differentiate between the varieties of help that is available. It usually refers to a problem solving form of treatment. It is very brief and deals with discovering a solution to an existing problem or circumstance. If you want to find out why you get depressed or angry when your in-laws come to visit so you can gain some control over your emotions while they're visiting, therapy can help you do that.
Marital therapy can help a couple understand the dynamics that operate within their relationship.
It helps them take a look at the meaning of their behaviors and their origin. Therapy is more involved than counselling. It requires participants to be willing to look both inside and backwards in history, discovering patterns of behavior that are often a part of a family's dynamics for several generations. Therapy requires attention to the process in addition to the actual time spent with the therapist. The dynamics of couples' therapy require that a therapist possess additional skills from those which are utilized for individual therapy.