Counselling is about helping people who want to change some aspects of their thoughts, feelings or behaviour to enhance their life
By careful listening the counsellor can start to understand things from the client's point of view
What is counselling?
There are many different types or "models" of "talking therapy" and each have a slightly different way of addressing issues, for example couple or relationship counselling tends to be a more directive approach than a counsellor who uses say a "person-centered" approach.
So it might be useful to start with saying what counselling isn't. Counselling does not involve giving advice or telling a client what they should or shouldn't do, or getting a client to take a particular course of action.
Counselling is about helping people who want to change some aspects of their thoughts, feelings or behaviour to enhance their life, or simply to explore and/or clarify their thoughts or feelings.
Counselling tends to be a shorter term process than psychotherapy, and is usually focused on solving a specific issue. Psychotherapy tends to be a longer term, deeper process.
There is however a big difference between using "counselling skills" and counselling. Professional counsellors usually undertake at least 3 to 4 years training to gain their diploma, followed by ongoing contiing professional training to maintain and enhance their skills.
Why Choose a Talking Therapy?
At significant points in our lives some of us begin to wonder if we could do with some therapy. Currently in the UK more people than ever before are seeking out some sort of "talking therapy" usually in the form of a counsellor or psychotherapist. In fact recent research by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy suggests that 'some 250,000 people in the UK are now using the skills of a counsellor'.
People are choosing counselling for a variety of reasons. For instance some people have had upsetting and/or stressful experiences which they need to talk through in a confidential and secure environment. Issues such as bereavement, separation, problems within the family, divorce, accedents or other major life events can often be a trigger to seek counselling. Others find counselling or psychotherapy helpful in dealing with a specific issue that they would like to change,such as relationship difficulty's, weight loss, panic attacks or over use of alchol for instance. Some people seek counselling to help them explore why their lives don't feel quite right, or because they are suffering with feelings of depression,anxiety, or stress. Others want the optortunity to talk about past experinecs sometimes in childhood.
Not all people seek counselling or psychotherapy because they have problems. Many people find therapy useful as part of personal develepment or to discover how they and others tick.
Although many people intially seek counselling through their GP more and more people are turning to private counsellors and therapists. Some of the reasons for this could be long waiting lists for surgery appointments, not being able to choose which counsellor or therapist to work with or concerns about medical records.
- The here and now:
- What is difficult or unsatisfying for you right now?
- What made you decide on therapy right now?
- What else is happening in your life at this moment?
- The Future:
- What do you want from life?
- How do you get the life you want?
- What do you wish for?
- What scares you?
- The Past:
- It can be useful to talk about the past, sometimes it is difficult to decided the future or understand what is happening in the here and now if we don't know how the past has made us who we are
By careful listening the counsellor can start to understand things from the client's point of view. The therapist is then able to help the client with their specific counselling goal and help make general improvements to their quality of life.
Therapy can help you see things from a fresh perspective, clarify thoughts and feelings, and reduce confusion. Counselling, therapy and psychotherapy is ultimately about empowering you to reach your true potential.
