Counselling isn’t one thing. Who’s in the room, what you want help with and how the counsellor works all change what a session looks like. Here’s a plain guide to the main types, so you know what to ask for.
Counselling is a confidential conversation with a trained professional that helps you understand a problem and decide what to do about it. The main types differ by who’s in the room (you alone, a couple, a family or a group) and by what you need help with, such as a career, grief or addiction.
What counselling is, and what it isn’t
A counsellor doesn’t tell you how to live your life. They listen closely, ask questions that help you see your situation more clearly, and help you work out a next step that fits your values. That’s different from advice from a friend or a pastor, who usually tell you what they’d do.
You’ll also hear “counselling” and “therapy” used for the same thing. In everyday use the overlap is large. Counselling often focuses on a specific problem over fewer sessions, while psychotherapy can go deeper over a longer time. Our guide to the differences between therapy and counselling explains where the line usually sits. In schools you’ll meet a third term, guidance, which we cover in what guidance and counselling means.
Types of counselling by who’s in the room
1. Individual counselling
One person and one counsellor. This is the most common type, and it’s where most people start. You talk about whatever is weighing on you: stress, low mood, anxiety, a decision, a loss. The sessions are yours alone.
Good for: most personal struggles, especially ones you’d rather not discuss in front of family. Browse therapists for general mental health and wellbeing to see who offers it.
2. Couples and marriage counselling
Two partners and a counsellor. The focus is the relationship rather than either person on their own: how you talk, how you fight, trust after cheating, money, in-laws, intimacy, or whether to stay together. You don’t need to be married, and you don’t need to be in crisis to go.
Good for: couples who keep having the same argument, or who’ve stopped talking. Read what couples therapy is, or see relationship and marriage counsellors.
3. Family counselling
Several members of a family together. The counsellor looks at patterns between people: who speaks for whom, old conflicts, how the family copes with an illness, a death or a move abroad. In Nigerian families, this often includes parents and adult children working out expectations.
Good for: conflict between parents and children, blended families, caring for an ill relative. See family and parenting therapists.
Suggested read: Problems of Guidance and Counselling in Nigeria: Solutions
4. Group counselling
A small group of people with a similar concern, led by a trained therapist. Members share their experience, listen to each other and practise new ways of coping. Hearing someone describe exactly what you’ve been carrying can take some of the weight off.
Good for: feeling less alone with a problem, and practising skills with others. Our guide to what group therapy is explains how groups work, and Mytherapist.ng circles are small groups you can join online.
Types of counselling by what you need help with
5. Career counselling
Help with choosing, changing or coping with work: picking a course or career, job loss, burnout, a toxic workplace, or deciding whether to relocate for work. A career counsellor may use interest or aptitude questionnaires alongside conversation.
Good for: students choosing a path, and adults who feel stuck. See career and workplace mental health.
6. School counselling
Counselling for pupils and students, usually provided in the school itself. School counsellors help with study habits, subject and career choices, bullying, exam stress and problems at home. In Nigeria this sits under the school’s guidance and counselling service.
Good for: secondary school and university students. If you’re a student, see what support is available to students. And if you’re wondering what a school counsellor can keep private, read will my therapist tell my parents?
7. Addiction and substance use counselling
Help to cut down or stop drinking, drug use or gambling, and to deal with what’s underneath it. It often combines one-to-one sessions with group support and, where needed, medical care for withdrawal.
Good for: anyone worried about their use of alcohol, drugs or betting, and families affected by it. See substance use and addiction specialists, or read about substance abuse and addiction in Nigeria.
8. Grief counselling
Support after a death, a pregnancy loss or another major loss. A grief counsellor doesn’t try to make the pain go away. They help you carry it, make sense of it and keep living alongside it.
Good for: grief that feels stuck, or that you can’t talk about at home. See grief and loss counsellors, or read about coping with grief and loss in Nigeria.
Suggested read: Counselling Techniques and Skills: What Counsellors Do
9. Crisis counselling
Short-term, immediate support when someone is overwhelmed or unsafe: after an assault, an accident, a sudden death or thoughts of suicide. The aim is safety first, then connecting the person to ongoing help.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 112 (or 767 in Lagos), or Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000. The full list of numbers is on our helplines page.
10. Rehabilitation counselling
Support for people adjusting to a disability, a long illness or recovery from an injury, often alongside a medical team. It helps with independence, work and the emotional side of a changed life.
Good for: people living with a chronic condition or disability, and their carers.
11. Faith-based counselling
Counselling that brings your religious beliefs into the conversation, for people who want their faith to be part of how they make sense of a problem. A good faith-based counsellor is still trained in counselling, not only in theology.
Good for: people who want a counsellor who shares or respects their faith. See spiritual and faith-based counselling.
12. Online counselling
Any of the types above, delivered by video, voice call or chat instead of in an office. It removes the commute, the waiting room and the chance of meeting someone you know, which makes it easier for many people to keep going. Our comparison of online and in-person therapy covers the trade-offs.
Approaches: how the counsellor works
The types above describe who’s in the room and what you need help with. The approach describes how the counsellor works with you, and the same type of counselling can use different approaches:
- Non-directive (person-centred): you lead, and the counsellor listens and reflects. See non-directive counselling.
- Directive: the counsellor takes a more active role, gathering information and suggesting a plan.
- Cognitive behavioural (CBT): you work on the link between thoughts, feelings and actions, often with tasks between sessions. Read understanding CBT.
- Eclectic: the counsellor draws on methods from different approaches to suit you and your problem.
How to choose the right type
- Start with who’s affected. If the problem lives between you and a partner, couples counselling makes sense. If it’s yours, start one-to-one.
- Then think about what you need. A specific problem, like grief or a career decision, points to a counsellor with that focus.
- Ask about the approach at your first session, and whether they’ve worked with problems like yours. Our list of questions to ask a potential therapist helps.
- It’s fine to switch. Many people start one-to-one and add a group later, or move from couples work to individual sessions.
If you’re not sure where to start, browse licensed therapists on Mytherapist.ng and filter by what you need help with, language and gender.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 main types of counselling? By who’s in the room, the four main types are individual, couples, family and group counselling. Most other types, like career or grief counselling, are one of these four with a particular focus.
Suggested read: Importance of Guidance and Counselling in Nigerian Schools
What is the most common type of counselling? Individual, one-to-one counselling. It’s the usual starting point because it’s private and fits almost any problem.
Is counselling the same as therapy? Mostly. Counselling often means shorter work on a specific problem, while psychotherapy can go deeper over a longer time, but many professionals do both. See the differences between therapy and counselling.
Can I have counselling online in Nigeria? Yes. You can book individual or couples sessions by video, voice or chat on Mytherapist.ng, or join a small group circle.
How do I know which type I need? Start with who’s affected and what you want help with. If you’re still unsure, book one session with a counsellor and ask them. Pointing you to the right kind of help is part of their job.
