Difference Between Guidance and Counseling

Psychology is the study of human behavior and the mind. It attempts to find the reason behind an individual’s behavior and thinking patterns. Guidance and counseling are two important concepts of psychology, which people do not easily distinguish because both try to find the solutions for complications and work for human development. Developing a comprehensive understanding of guidance and counseling might help people in choosing the right method. Let’s learn the Difference Between Guidance and Counseling!

What is Guidance?

• Guidance known as a piece of active advice offered to individuals from a person who is superior in the respective field or a professional. It is the procedure of guiding, managing or leading a person for a particular course of action.
• The process aims at making individuals aware of the suitability or unfairness of their choices and the significance of their decision, on which their future depends. It assists students in picking the most suitable course for them, to determine and develop their psychological and educational abilities and ambitions. 
• The outcome of Guidance is usually self-development and helps a person to plan his present and future intelligently.

What is Counseling?

• Counseling is a talking therapy, in which a person discusses his/her problems and shares feelings with the counselor, who helps the client in dealing with the problems. It usually discusses those problems which are linked to private or socio-psychological issues, producing emotional pain or mental shakiness. 
• The counselor or a psychologist attends to the problems of the client with understanding and discusses them, in a private environment. It is not a one-day practice, but there are numerous sessions.
• Counseling is to help the client to see the root of problems and recognize the potential solutions to the issues. The counselor attempts to change the viewpoint of the clients and helps them to remain positive in the future.

Key Differences Between Guidance and Counseling

The noteworthy variances between guidance and counseling are given in the following points:

• Advice or relevant information given by some senior person, to resolve a conflict and overcome the difficulty, is known as guidance. Counseling is professional advice given by a psychologist to an individual to help him in finding the possible solution to personal or psychological problems.
• The nature of Guidance is preventive but the nature of counseling tends to be healing, therapeutic, or helpful.
• The guidance offers support to the person while choosing the best alternative. But counseling helps them to change their perspective, to get the solution by themselves. 
• Guidance is an inclusive process; that retains an external approach. In contrast, counseling always focuses on the in-depth and inward analysis of the problematic situation, till the client comprehends and overcomes it completely.
• Guidance usually taken on education and career-related issues, however, counseling is taken when the problematic situation is linked with personal and socio-psychological issues.
• Guidance can given by an expert in a particular field. But counseling can only be provided by counselors, who own a high level of skill and have undergone specialized training.
• Guidance can given to a specific person or group of individuals simultaneously. On the contrary, counseling will always be a one-to-one session. 

Conclusion

Consequently, after revising the above-given points, it becomes easy to understand that guidance and counseling are two different terms. Though, both the process attempts to solve the problems with the participation of both client and the expert.