The biggest difference between counselors and child therapists comes down to philosophy: ⦁ Counselors typically look at mental health issues as practical, functional problems to be solved for each individual. They focus on problem-solving and the details of issues that are preventing a patient from achieving their goals, and look for straightforward treatments that deal directly with those issues. ⦁ Therapists approach mental problems in the context of social and relational issues. They see individuals as part of a larger, infinitely complex web of social connections, and look through that web of connections to trace the root of problems and focus on treatments from a holistic perspective. These philosophies come out of the roots of each profession, both of which mostly evolved during the early 20th century.