If you are in crisis: Counselling is not an emergency service. In an emergency in India, call 112. For free, confidential mental-health support at any hour, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416.
Coaching helps you perform and reach goals. Counselling helps you work through current difficulties such as stress, poor sleep or strained relationships. Therapy treats deeper or longer-standing conditions. In some situations a doctor or psychiatrist should come first.
Knowing which kind of help you need saves time and gets you to the right person sooner. This guide explains the differences, when to see a doctor first, and where mindfulness-based counselling fits.
How do counselling, therapy and coaching differ?
| Coaching | Counselling | Therapy (psychotherapy) | Psychiatry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Performance, goals, habits | Current difficulties: stress, sleep, relationships, life changes | Deeper or longer-standing conditions | Diagnosis and medical treatment, including medication |
| Typical length | A set series around a goal | Weeks to a few months | Months, sometimes longer | Ongoing, often alongside therapy |
| Who provides it | Coaches from many backgrounds | Counsellors with varied training | Clinical psychologists and trained psychotherapists | Psychiatrists, who are medical doctors |
| How it is regulated in India | Not covered by mental-health law | Not defined in the Mental Healthcare Act; training varies | Clinical psychologists need RCI-recognised qualifications | Medical practitioners with a postgraduate qualification in psychiatry |
India’s Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 defines a clinical psychologist as someone with a recognised clinical psychology qualification from an institution approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India, or an equivalent postgraduate route that includes supervised clinical training. It defines a psychiatrist as a medical practitioner with a postgraduate degree or diploma in psychiatry (Mental Healthcare Act, 2017). Because counsellors and coaches are not defined in the same way, it is worth asking any practitioner about their training.
When should you see a doctor or psychiatrist first?
Counselling is valuable, but some situations need medical care first. See a doctor or psychiatrist before, or alongside, any counselling if:
- You have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life. Call 112 or Tele-MANAS now.
- Your low mood is severe or getting worse.
- Your symptoms have stopped you working or sleeping for weeks.
- Your situation involves medication, including starting, stopping or changing it.
Tele-MANAS is a free, round-the-clock national helpline run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, available on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416. Calls are routed to a team in your state, and callers can choose their language (Tele-MANAS).
Where does mindfulness-based counselling fit?
Mindfulness-based counselling sits in the counselling column. It suits people dealing with stress, poor sleep, low focus, strained relationships or habits they want to change, who are not in crisis.
What Sunil’s counselling involves
Sunil’s counselling is built on mindfulness and meditation. It also draws on practical skills from structured therapies, explained here in plain words. From CBT comes noticing and questioning unhelpful thoughts. From DBT comes staying steady through strong emotions. From interpersonal therapy comes looking at how relationships affect mood. For how those therapies compare, read CBT vs DBT vs IPT: Which Therapy Works Best?
Sunil is not a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. He holds a diploma in natural healthcare that included mindfulness and meditation.
Working alongside doctors
Many of Sunil’s clients come to him on the referral of their doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist, who want them to have a serious meditation and mindfulness practice alongside their treatment. When Sunil sees signs that someone needs medical attention, he advises them to see a psychiatrist, either alongside counselling or before continuing.
“Many people come to me referred by their doctor or psychiatrist, because they understand that deep practices like meditation matter too. And if I feel someone needs medical attention, I tell them clearly to see a psychiatrist, in parallel or first.”
Sunil
What the research says
A major review of 47 trials with 3,515 participants found moderate evidence that mindfulness meditation programmes bring small-to-moderate improvements in anxiety, depression and pain. It also found low evidence of improvement in stress and mental health–related quality of life (Goyal et al., 2014).
The same review found no evidence that meditation programmes worked better than active treatments such as medication, exercise or other behavioural therapies. It found low or insufficient evidence for effects on sleep and substance use. That is why mindfulness-based counselling complements medical care and does not replace it.
What happens in a first counselling session?
A first session lasts 60 minutes and begins with an assessment of your sleep, stress and focus. From there, you and Sunil agree what you want to change and how you will know it is changing.
Progress is then measured week by week. The measures include how many hours you sleep and how long it takes you to fall asleep, how calm you feel, how your breathing is, and how focused you are at work. Sunil also tracks your overall mood, whether your appetite is normal, how your relationships with family and friends are going, how often you get angry, and how much you rely on things like social media, tobacco or alcohol.
Online counselling or in person?
Counselling is available in person in Mumbai or online anywhere in the world. Online sessions suit people who travel often or want to keep continuity from wherever they are. In person suits those who find it easier to talk in the same room.
Whichever you choose, the approach and the weekly measures stay the same. An online session is still not an emergency service, so keep the numbers at the top of this page to hand.
Frequently asked questions
Is counselling the same as therapy?
Not quite. Counselling usually focuses on current difficulties over a shorter period, while therapy works on deeper or longer-standing conditions.
Do I need a referral for mindfulness-based counselling?
No, you can enquire directly. Many clients do come on the recommendation of their doctor or psychiatrist.
Can I have counselling while taking medication?
Yes, and many clients do. Keep your doctor informed, and never start, stop or change medication without them.
Can mindfulness-based counselling run alongside therapy with a psychologist?
Yes. It is often used alongside therapy or psychiatric care.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you want to change. Progress is reviewed every week, so you can both see how things are moving.
Book a mindfulness-based counselling session
Sunil offers mindfulness-based counselling in person in Mumbai and online worldwide, and fees are agreed on enquiry. To arrange a first session, visit the mindfulness-based counselling page or get in touch. Enquiries are by WhatsApp messages only.
If you are in crisis: Counselling is not an emergency service. In an emergency in India, call 112. For free, confidential mental-health support at any hour, call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416.
