Top 5 Differences Between Counseling And Plain Advice - 2023

What is the difference between Counseling & Plain advice?

Advice is a piece of suggestion provided by anyone preferably superior, to solve particular issues whereas counseling is professional advice from an expert preferably a counselor to overcome psychological issues. Knowing the difference between both terms helps you to opt for the right services, beneficial for you.

Maybe someone feels it's the same way of talking, asking questions, and giving solutions but in counseling, preference is maintaining the therapeutic environment, listening skills, knowing what to ask, when, and how, so that individual integrity doesn't get hurt. 

• Advice would be giving solutions from someone's point of view by their general and personal experience whereas, Counseling is a process related to finding a problem first, then identifying the core reason, and lastly helping the client to solve it by staying by their side.

For example: Taking advice from someone who had marital issues on past always point out that girls/ladies are bad to trust. Hence, people give advice based on their experience without knowing much, the other side might have different scenarios.

• Advice, if given depends on the receiver whether to follow it or not. Counseling aims at implementing the suitable solution arrived after discussion with Therapists (Session).

For example: In many cases, people actually know what they need to do to get out of stress, but they can't do it maybe because of no courage or fear of being alone. Like in marital violence cases, the lady knows she needs to raise voice but she d do it, as she feels what her parents feel about her husband, which actually worsens the situation further.

So, counseling works not only on giving solutions but also helps you to achieve them. Even a counselor supports you in the journey of fighting with your negatives.

• The advice can be biased rather counseling aims at giving solutions based on a personality i.e. strengths or weaknesses. The advice given can go biased as family members usually hide your weakness to make you happy momentarily.

For example Mamta, 18 years, college girl reported that she always gets ditched in friendship and when she asks this with her mother., She always says you are my darling daughter, your friends might have some personal incompatibility that is why they don't value your friendship, LEAVE THE ISSUE AND ENJOY.

Yes, it happens, when you have to solve issues of someone near to you, you hide things and try to give happiness but the root causes never reach to end. In counseling, we try to judge personality first therapeutically, handle the weakness, strength and then work on it so that the issue gets resolved completely by making suitable changes in nature.

• Advice is given by an advisor, which helps you fight your immediate state of confusion. While a counselor directs your life in the direction of positivity being a motivator, inspirer, encourager, or career guide, etc.

When you are confused, what to wear to a particular event. You can seek advice from your mother but opting for a career option that will further decide your future needs Career counseling by evaluating what are your strengths, types of intelligence and then, coming to professional advice where you can achieve the peak of efficiency.

• Advice is mostly preventive, it guides you in a way stopping you from fall but counseling is remedial and curative so that psychological issues like depression, anxiety will fade with day by day sessions.

For example: Advising on right attire to wear on marriage will prevent you from looking bad but depression due to opting wrong career option can be corrected by counselling in a therapeutic way.

• The advice can be taken openly or in the group but counselings are always confidential. The advice can be taken in friends group or actively working daily but counseling maintains confidentially so that your issues remain to yourself and given direction rather than mocking in society.

So, don't hesitate to take help from Best Counselors in India if you feel some issues are affecting your life and need to seek them out. Find the best therapists in India on your phone by booking sessions with Online Therapists.