Therapist, Counselor, or Guide?
What's the Difference?
Well, like most answers to things regarding inner work, it's all kind of fluid. There is overlap, and there are probably other opinions out there about this, but this is how I like to look at these roles.
A therapist is licensed by the state and is supervised by a board specific to their education and license. The focus in this realm of healing is to provide a diagnosis of some sort of mental disorder based on symptoms, and then create a plan for how to address this disorder. There is a focus on skills work, and processing past events as they relate to current functioning. I like to think of this as level one healing. This often looks like weekly sessions sitting on a couch for an hour, talking. The therapist takes notes and documents what you are working on and if you are making progress based on specific parameters and assessments. This is a useful method of healing for some folks, and provides a structure that is supported by the current medical model of treatment, and allows for insurance reimbursement.
A counselor assists with skills work and processing past events, but not just related to how they relate to current functioning, but also how they relate to cultural and spiritual growth and engagement, and how they show up in your body. I like to think of this as level 2 healing. Sessions might be in an office, or they might be in the woods, or any place in between. Instead of scheduling sessions weekly to create structure and consistency for scheduling and internalizing information, sessions with a counselor are created as you need them. This could be weekly, or it could be monthly, or whenever the need arises. This is a partnership, where it is understood that YOU are the expert in your healing.
When I think about a guide, I remember a trip to Mexico. The concierge at the resort I was staying at knew the area very well, and when I asked about opportunities to learn more about the indigenous culture, he recommended places “off the map” for exploration, which made my trip all the more memorable because of the connection to a people in a way that felt deeper than beaches and margaritas. Being a guide is like that. It recognizes that we heal in relationships, with our own bodies and souls and psyches, and also with those around us. As a trained yoga instructor, I use many aspects of yoga to help guide people inward. As an herbalist, I can guide with the use of plant medicines. Therefore, this feels like level 3 healing here.
All of these methods are useful in their own ways and can overlap. For some, the use of the medical model to allow for insurance reimbursement is the only option, while others find it traumatizing to be labeled, categorized, and identified as disordered, and prefer to dig a little deeper than this and invest in the guided journey to their inner world.
