counselling

• counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues
• counselling can help with

  • mental health conditions - depression, anxiety, eating disorders
  • an upsetting physical health condition such as infertility
  • a difficult life event such as bereavement
  • difficult emotions such as low self esteem
• counselling works by the therapist encouraging them to talk about their feelings and emotions

  the therapist can help clients to gain a better understanding of their own feelings and thought processes

  they will NOT give advice or tell the clients what to do

  clients might be offered a single session, sessions over a short course of few weeks/months or be offered sessions for several months or years

  it can take a number of sessions before clients start to see progress but they should start to feel better with the help and support of the therapist
• ethical factors to consider

  1. maintaining boundaries
  2. personal problems
  3. respecting client differences
  4. maintaining confidentiality
• practical factors to consider

  1. should be welcoming
  2. should be comfortable
  3. should be a place with few distractions
  4. should be somewhere where privacy and confidentiality can be maintained
  5. should be non threatening
• eval

  + a good therapist can help you move forward

  + gives you time and space to work through problems

  + helps you to gain a different perspective on problems and issues
• eval

  + provides a safe, non judgemental environment

  + can help them to become more motivated or confident

  + can help you with improving and maintaining relationship
• eval

  -- high risk of getting too personal or emotionally involved

  -- the results are too focused on one person only - the client

  -- counsellors may have limited knowledge