Can general practitioners counsel?

It has been suggested that general practitioners are in a prime position to counsel patients presenting with psychosocial problems. While many doctors use counselling skills in their consultations few have received training in counselling and the difference between the use of counselling skills and the process of counselling is not always understood. This paper examines the differences between counselling and counselling skills and compares the role of doctors and counsellors. It is concluded that there is a need for trained counsellors to work alongside general practitioners and that this is of benefit to patients and all members of the primary care team.