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Counselling
Some people may be embarrassed to attend therapy, believing they have failed in some way. However, this is not the case. Many people choose professional counselling and find they are able to make a huge success of their life. Just talking to someone confidentially who is not a friend or family member can make all the difference. Counselling provides a regular time for those in distress to explore their feelings and talk about their problems. A counsellor should help you develop better ways of coping, allowing you to live the life you deserve.
Choosing the right counsellor for your individual needs is essential. Below are some frequently asked questions about counselling/psychotherapy:
How do I know which counsellor to choose?
What training, qualifications and experience should counsellors/psychotherapists have?
What is accreditation/registration with a professional body?
How can I be assured of the counsellors' professionalism?
Counselling Approaches
Psychological therapies generally fall into three categories. These are behavioural therapies, which focus on cognitions and behaviours, psychoanalytical and psychodynamic therapies, which focus on the unconscious relationship patterns that evolved from childhood, and humanistic therapies, which focus on looking at the 'here and now'. This is a generalisation though and counselling usually overlaps some of these techniques. Some counsellors or psychotherapists practise a form of 'integrative' counselling, which means they draw on and blend specific types of techniques. Other practitioners work in an 'eclectic' way, which means they take elements of several different models and combine them when working with clients.
Click on the links below to find out about the different types of psychological therapies:
Behavioural Therapies
Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic Therapies
Humanistic Therapies
Counselling or Psychotherapy?
Though most people will be aware of the term 'counselling', you may have come across the term 'psychotherapy' and differentiating between these terms is useful when understanding which therapy will be best suited to you. Both psychotherapy and counselling involve talking to someone who is trained to listen and there is no definitive distinction between counselling and psychotherapy. However, in general, counselling is a talking therapy which allows individuals to deal with specific life issues, whereas psychotherapy is used to deal with 'deeper' issues, most commonly with those whose past experiences are still causing them distress. It may be helpful to think of counselling and psychotherapy as being at either ends of a scale. At one end would be brief counselling to deal with a specific problem, at the other end would be intense psychotherapy to deal with deep rooted problems.
However the main factor that usually determines how successful the therapy is does not lie with the technique or approach used, but with the actual counsellor/psychotherapist. How you connect with the counsellor/psychotherapist you choose is likely to determine how successful the treatment is. It is also helpful to have a little knowledge on the different types of counselling that may be used when deciding upon a counsellor/psychotherapist. There are many types of counselling, some involve looking at past relationships and experiences to make sense of them, and others involve looking at the 'here and now'.
Further Information
Information & Advice from counsellors
The History of Counselling
Useful Charities related to counselling |
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