The term counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably and refer to very similar experiences for the individual. Counselling in general is relatively brief and often focused on a particular problem, whereas psychotherapy is associated with more open-ended work, focusing on gaining insight and working through feelings on a deeper level.
We all experience problems at some point in our lives and if these persist our quality of life may suffer. It can affect our happiness, our health, our relationships and our performance at work.
We can feel overwhelmed by our problems and feel confused about what to do. Counselling is for people going through crises, change or personal difficulties.
People come to counselling with many problems and difficulties including :
Confidentiality is considered fundamental to counselling and is an integral part of BACP’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice. An individual will only be able to use counselling fully if he/she feels that what is spoken about in counselling will be in confidence. Accordingly, all personal information disclosed in counselling is confidential.
However, there are certain situations where it may be necessary to break confidentiality, for example when there is a legal duty to disclose information. The therapist should clarify this with you prior to establishing any agreement to work together.
This depends on the issues brought to counselling, the time and commitment you want to give to the process and your own ideas about what you want to achieve by coming to counselling. For some people just a few sessions are all they require having gained a new perspective about the problem, while others may wish to be involved in longer-term work. It is important to talk about this in the first session. You can finish counselling at any time and the counsellor will support you in this.
Counselling usually lasts between 50 – 60 minutes. The first session provides an opportunity for both parties to decide whether they can work together. You will be able to discuss if counselling is appropriate for you or whether some other help would be more suitable. The counsellor will look at what has brought you to seek counselling and what are your expectations.
You will be able to begin to share and explore your difficulties and concerns, so that by the end of the session you should be in a position of deciding whether you want to continue working with the counsellor. Finally, practical considerations will be covered, for example, appointment times, fees, cancellation arrangements, and confidentiality.
You may be recommended a counsellor by a friend, or you might obtain lists of counsellors on the internet or through counselling organisations. It is important to check whether the counsellor is qualified to provide the service and is a member of a professional body like BACP or COSCA. You can obtain a list of reputable practitioners in your area through these professional bodies.
When you contact a counsellor for the first time, you may wish to ask about the time, place, fees, charges for cancelled appointments, their professional membership, experience and qualifications.
During your initial meeting, trust your instinct. To enable you to get the best out of the time you spend together, you must feel comfortable with the counsellor.
A counsellor may talk about their specific approach and you may want to find out more about this. In general the approach is less important than the quality of the counsellor but for some problems it is a consideration.
Counselling can help in many ways and will be geared to the needs of the individual.
It can:
EMDR is a proven
treatment that can help individuals who have experienced traumatic
incidents. It can also be effective with other anxiety related
conditions.
No one knows for certain
how it works. We do know that when a person is very upset their
brain cannot process information as it does normally. The memory
becomes 'locked' in the brain in a 'raw' and distressing form. EMDR
facilitates the processing (making sense) of this memory into a less
distressing form like 'ordinary' memories.
One theory suggests that
it appears to do this in a similar way to REM (rapid eye movement)
sleep by stimulating left and right sides of the brain through
moving the eyes from side to side. Stimulation can also be obtained
through tapping and sound.
It is important to
choose a suitably qualified practitioner for this treatment.
EMDR is an effective treatment for post traumatic stress.
However, it can also be helpful for: