Me…!? Counselling… ?

Oh I’m not sure that’s for me. Laying back on a couch talking about my childhood while some bespectacled hippy nods knowingly, psychoanalysing me, wistfully concluding that I am sexually frustrated because I nervously fondled my car keys as I entered the room…

I often find that people are unclear on what Counselling & Psychotherapy actually is. They are full of outdated ideas and impressions from TV & film about what therapy involves. Here I hope to shed a little light on that to create a better understanding of what Counselling & Psychotherapy are and what you can expect when engaging with these services.

Counselling & Psychotherapy are talking therapies which present the client with the opportunity to explore their issues with a professional, qualified therapist who has been trained to help to do so in a safe & controlled way. These therapies are evidence based in that they have been scientifically evaluated and shown to be effective in dealing with a range of mental health problems.

There are many different theories & modalities of talking therapies and a good therapist should be able to help you access the best kind of therapy for you & your particular issue.

Counselling OR Psychotherapy? I’ve often been asked What’s the difference? In truth, to my mind, the difference depends on your perspective. Some professionals say that Psychotherapists are better qualified than Counsellors or that Psychotherapy tends to take place over longer treatment cycles, dealing with more complex mental health issues.

My experience is that both do a very similar job. So similar in fact that the two are almost indistinguishable. A qualified Counsellor may call themselves a Psychotherapist & vice versa and both look to deliver a therapeutic service and will use a similar set of methods & skills to deliver therapy.

My advice to anyone looking for a Counsellor or Psychotherapist is to consider the following:

Consider your resources. Free therapy is sometimes offered by charities & local health services but there can be waiting lists involved and your choice of therapist & type of therapy on offer can be more limited – In short, you tend to get offered what’s available and that may or may not be the right fit for you. The other option is to look for a private therapist. This will give you more choice and avoid waiting lists but you will need the resources to pay for the service. Typical rates can be anywhere between €50 &, I’ve seen them as high as, €120 per hour. More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better – As outlined below, your relationship with the therapist is so important.

Look for a therapist that you feel able to connect with, someone who you think you can establish a good professional relationship with. If you can’t connect with a therapist in this way, it doesn’t matter who they are or what they offer, the chances are they’re not the right therapist for you. I advise trying to talk with a therapist before you decide to work with them to assess whether you think you will work well together.

At BroadMinds Therapy we offer a free consultation for this very reason.

What type of therapy? The therapeutic relationship is very important but it’s not everything. The type of therapy on offer is very relevant. There are lots of different types of therapy and not all will be suitable for you & your issues. Again, my advice is to talk with a therapist before you decide to work with them. A good therapist will outline their way of working & discuss whether or not this is right for you. The final decision is always, ultimately, yours but if you decide to try a different therapist, a therapist will often be able to recommend or refer you to a different therapist or service that you may well find more suitable.

If at first you don’t succeed, try & try again. Sometimes, after a session or two you may come to think that therapy isn’t working out as well as you’d hoped. By now you can probably predict my answer.. You got it! The chances are that the therapist you’ve chosen isn’t quite right for you. However, there are lots of other therapists about, working in different ways, with different approaches & qualities. There will be a therapist who’s right for you. So, have hope & keep the faith, because you deserve it.

If you’d like to discuss Counselling & Psychotherapy for yourself or someone you know, contact BroadMinds Therapy and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and discuss options for you. Call 0899420568, email: help@broadmindstherapy.org , contact us via our website: www.broadmindstherapy.org or message us via our facebook page: BroadMinds | Facebook.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article.