How Long is Counselling? Long-Term Vs. Short-Term Counselling
Last Updated on April 17, 2025 by Prath
Reviewed by April Justice, LICSW
- Published on 17 April 2025
Counselling is a journey towards better mental health and emotional growth.
Just as no two people can be the same, no two counselling journeys can follow the same path.
This is why there’s no single answer to the question, ‘How long is counselling?’
Some people may achieve progress as early as a few months, while others may need long-term support to work through deep issues or concerns.
Having said that, the exact duration that’ll work for you may depend on several factors, such as:
- Your goals for counselling
- The challenges or concerns you’re looking to address
- The type of counselling you choose
- The frequency of your counselling sessions
During your first session, your counsellor will help lay out a therapeutic plan that’s tailored to your needs.
Read on to explore common factors that influence counselling duration and different types of counselling based on duration, ie short-term and long-term counselling.
This Article Contains:
Is there a Timeline for Counselling?
The short answer? No, there isn’t a fixed one-size-fits-all timeline for counselling in Australia.
The duration of counselling varies from person to person and may depend on a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- The nature and severity of concerns
- The frequency of counselling sessions
- The type of counselling, eg cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy etc
- Your personal goals and expected outcomes
- Finding the right counsellor
It’s essential to keep in mind that counselling is not about rushing to a finish line – it’s about making meaningful progress at a pace that feels right to you.
2 Types of Counselling Based on Duration
1) Short Term Counselling
Short-term counselling typically ranges from 5-20 sessions and is ideal for those looking to address specific issues such as life changes and workplace challenges.
It follows a pre-structured and solution-oriented approach, providing clients with immediate strategies and actionable solutions.
Below are some commonly practised types of short-term counselling:
a) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a structured, evidence-based type of counselling that helps identify, challenge and reframe negative thought patterns.
It’s a highly practical and action-oriented approach that equips you with real-life skills that can be applied in everyday life.
Counsellors may generally use CBT for concerns such as anxiety, mild depression, phobias, stress management and self-esteem issues.
Here’s how it works
Sia, a 27-year-old teacher, starts experiencing panic attacks when travelling in crowded trains and buses. She thus begins avoiding public transport, which makes her daily life difficult.
Sia decides to see a counsellor in Australia. After 12 sessions of CBT, she is able to:
- Understand her triggers: Sia learns that her panic attacks were triggered by an underlying fear of losing control in a confined space.
- Practise cognitive restructuring: Sia identifies automatic negative thoughts and restructures them. Eg ‘I’m going to pass out and embarrass myself’ → ‘I’m experiencing a panic attack, and this will pass very soon’.
- Engage in gradual exposure: Over the course of counselling, Sia starts gradually taking short trips on less crowded trains during lean hours, accompanied by a friend.
- Learn coping skills: Sia learns several CBT-based tools and grounding techniques to ride out panic attacks, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique, box breathing and reality checks.
b) Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
SFBT is a goal-oriented, future-focused type of counselling that centres around solutions rather than focusing on the problem. It helps clients identify their strengths and develop practical strategies to achieve progress.
SFBT is best for those going through transitions in life, facing short-term stressors, or struggling with decision-making.
Here’s how it works
Krish is a 45-year-old techie who feels stuck in their career and is considering a career shift. However, they feel conflicted and anxious about making a shift so late in their career.
Krish decides to start online counselling in Australia. After six sessions of SBFT, Krish is able to:
- Gain clarity about their goals: With their counsellor’s guidance, Krish defines their career goals clearly. They find that job satisfaction and fulfilment are more important to them than the paycheck.
- Reflect on past successes: Instead of focusing on the negatives that a career change could bring up, Krish learns to reflect on past instances where they successfully navigated change.
- Learn coping skills & techniques: SBFT teaches Krish various tools and techniques, such as the miracle question technique – ‘If you wake up tomorrow in your ideal career path, what would be different?’
- Develop an action plan: By the end of session six, Krish has an action plan in place – network in their desired field, upskill through courses, set a timeline, and shortlist jobs.
c) Crisis Intervention Therapy
The American Psychological Association defines crisis as follows:
‘A situation (e.g., a traumatic change) that produces significant cognitive or emotional stress in those involved in it.’
Crisis intervention therapy is a type of short-term counselling that aims to provide immediate emotional support and coping strategies for anyone experiencing acute psychological distress. It helps restore stability and helps regain a sense of control during or after a crisis.
Crisis counselling is generally prescribed for those facing sudden hardships such as grief, trauma, job loss, divorce, etc.
Here’s how it works
Mike is a 19-year-old college student who lost his pet dog unexpectedly. He’s overwhelmed with grief, unable to focus at college and struggling with disturbed sleep.
Mike decides to reach out for help and engage in counselling. Through 10 sessions with a crisis intervention counsellor in Australia, Mike is able to:
- Access immediate emotional support: Mike’s counsellor provides him with a safe space to express any feelings and emotions without judgment.
- Understand & make space for grief: Counselling helps Mike hold space for his grief and experience all emotions as they come, be it sadness, anger, anxiety, apathy or guilt. Mike understands that the first step is acknowledging that feeling these emotions is okay.
- Develop coping mechanisms: Mike learns to take it one day at a time, breaking down his tasks into manageable steps and practising guided breathing exercises, grounding techniques and self-care.
- Build a support system: Mike’s counsellor encourages him to lean on his family, friends and support groups during this challenging period.
2) Long Term Counselling
Long-term counselling is spread across several months or years. It involves more profound psychological work and ongoing emotional support, helping people work on persistent patterns, unresolved trauma and long-standing mental health challenges.
Long-term counselling is ideal for self-exploration, personal growth and addressing chronic mental health conditions.
Some common types of long-term counselling are discussed below:
a) Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is a type of counselling that explores how unconscious thought processes, early childhood experiences, and past relationships may affect present behaviours.
A psychodynamic counsellor in Australia can help you improve self-awareness and unearth hidden emotional patterns that could drive current life struggles.
Psychodynamic therapy may be the right fit for you if you’re facing self-esteem challenges, recurrent relationship struggles, unresolved childhood trauma, etc.
Here’s how it works
Katrina, a 32-year-old writer, struggles with recurrent issues in her romantic relationships. She often feels abandoned by her partners and deals with self-worth issues.
Katrina reaches out to a psychodynamic counsellor in Australia. After a year of psychodynamic counselling, she is able to:
- Explore childhood attachment issues: Katrina discovers that her attachment issues with childhood caregivers have shaped her expectations in relationships as an adult.
- Understand her defence mechanisms: Katrina’s counsellor helps her realise how she subconsciously uses defence mechanisms like avoidance to protect herself from potential hurt.
- Identify recurring emotional patterns: She understands that she has a fear of abandonment, and this has led her to over-accommodate or push people away.
- Improve her self-esteem: Through psychodynamic counselling, Katrina processes past wounds and issues and is able to improve her self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Learn to set better emotional boundaries: Katrina learns to communicate her needs clearly and establish healthy boundaries in her relationships.
b) Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT is an evidence-based form of counselling that blends core tenets of CBT with mindfulness and acceptance-based practices.
It aims to equip people with practical skills to manage intense emotions, improve interpersonal relationships and build emotional resilience.
DBT may be ideal for issues such as emotional dysregulation, borderline personality disorder (BPD), chronic self-harm behaviours, suicidal ideation, and intense interpersonal conflict.
Here’s how it works
Jo is a 35-year-old who runs a small business in Australia. For the past few months, they have been experiencing sudden emotional outbursts, impulsiveness and mood swings.
Jo decides to engage in counselling to help manage their emotions better. After a year of DBT, Jo is able to:
- Validate feelings & emotions: Jo learns to acknowledge and accept that their emotions, no matter how intense, are valid.
- Nurture self-compassion: Instead of judging their emotions or pushing them away, Jo begins to explore where they are coming from and respond with compassion.
- Practise emotional regulation skills: Jo’s counsellor helps them identify emotional patterns, track triggers, and use practical skills to manage their emotions.
- Apply mindfulness & grounding techniques: DBT equips Jo with mindfulness and grounding techniques that help them move away from reactive spiralling and towards staying present and aware.
- Use distress tolerance tools: During moments of emotional overwhelm, Jo learns to use DBT strategies like TIPP (Temperature change, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Progressive muscle relaxation).
c) Humanistic Therapy or Person-Centered Therapy
As the name suggests, humanistic therapy, also known as person-centred therapy, places the client at the centre of the counselling process.
It’s a very flexible type of counselling where the counsellor lets clients traverse their mental health journey at their own pace.
Humanistic counselling is grounded in the belief that all humans have the potential for self-growth and healing. A person-centred counsellor prioritises empathy, unconditional positive regard and genuine therapist-client relationships.
Humanistic counselling is best suited for you if your goals are any of the following:
- Identity exploration
- Holistic personal-growth
- Self-esteem & self-worth issues
- Existential concerns
Here’s how it works
Neo is a 15-year-old high-schooler dealing with internalised homophobia and self-esteem issues. He feels isolated and misunderstood, and often criticises himself for not fitting in with society’s expectations of a high school boy.
Neo chooses to see a humanistic counsellor in Australia. After 5 months of counselling, he is able to:
- Foster self-acceptance: Neo’s counsellor provides him with a safe, empathetic and non-judgmental space where he begins to slowly accept his authentic identity without shame.
- Reflect on his feelings & emotions: Instead of suppressing or ignoring his emotions, Neo learns to express, acknowledge and understand them freely.
- Improve his self-worth: With his counsellor’s support, Neo challenges his internalised beliefs and cultivates self-love and acceptance of his authentic self.
- Be his authentic self in public: Neo starts to express himself more openly, both at school and with his family, becoming more confident in his identity.
Conclusion
Counselling can be broadly grouped into two categories on the basis of duration: short-term and long-term counselling.
However, remember that there’s no ideal duration that works for everyone.
The length of counselling depends on a multitude of factors such as your concerns, goals, frequency of sessions, type of counselling, etc.
If you’re unsure about how long you should stay in counselling, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) The choice is always yours: You and your counsellor in Australia can decide the duration of counselling based on your goals and the outcomes you wish to see.
2) Progress matters more than duration: Counselling is a long-term investment in your mental health. It equips you with practical tools and can significantly improve your quality of life.
3) You can always revisit your plan: Your needs may change over the course of counselling, and that’s completely normal. You can always revisit and adjust the frequency or duration of your sessions with your counsellor at any stage.
Given that you’ve already taken the bold first step to seek counselling, figuring out the right duration is just one part of your mental health journey – and you don’t have to do it alone!
Schedule your first session with a TYHO (Talk Your Heart Out) Counsellor today to take the next step towards better mental health.
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