The National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) voted to pass the mental health law. It is understood that the new law stipulates that psychological counselors may not engage in psychotherapy. Some experts engaged in psychotherapy told reporters that psychological counseling and psychotherapy are two concepts, and the main difference lies in the right to prescribe. The reporter also learned that as early as many years ago, various tertiary general hospitals in Suzhou opened psychological clinics.

The new law stipulates that "psychological counselors shall not engage in psychotherapy or the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders." "If the counselor finds that the person receiving counseling may suffer from mental disorder, he should advise him to go to a medical institution that meets the requirements of the Mental Health Law." In this regard, an associate professor named Shen who has been engaged in psychotherapy for many years told reporters that psychological counseling and psychotherapy are two concepts. "The assessment and certification of psychological counselors is relatively loose. After passing the training examination, the public can obtain the certificate of psychological counselor. Because there are no professional restrictions, there are many relevant employees in the society now. " On the other hand, psychotherapists have more medical background. Practitioners often come from regular classes, and the requirements for entrance examination are more standardized and strict. "Of course, the biggest difference between the two is whether there is a prescription right." According to Associate Professor Shen, psychological counselors can only give psychological counseling to others to solve stress and have no right to prescribe drugs; If the counselor finds that the other person's mental illness is serious, he should be advised to go to a professional psychiatric clinic. In contrast, psychotherapists have "greater authority", which can not only provide consultation and psychological support, but also prescribe drugs directly for patients' specific symptoms and give appropriate drug treatment.

Hope to adopt!