Counselling and Psychotherapy

Sometimes it helps to talk things over with someone other than family and friends, who has no emotional involvement with you, and who can be objective and non-judgemental.

What can you expect from counselling?

An effective Counsellor or Psychotherapist:

Understands depression and how to lift it
Helps immediately with anxiety problems such as panic attacks, nightmares, post traumatic stress and phobias
Is prepared to give information and advice as needed
Will not use jargon or ’psychobabble’ or tell you that counselling or psychotherapy has to be ‘painful’
Will not dwell unduly on the past
Will be supportive when difficult feelings emerge, but won’t encourage people to get emotional beyond the normal need to ‘let go’ of any bottled up feelings
May assist you in developing your social skills so that your needs for affection, friendship, pleasure, intimacy, connection to the wider community etc can be fulfilled
Will help you to draw and build on your own resources (which may be greater than you think)
Will be considerate of the effects of counselling on the people close to you
May teach you to relax deeply
Will help you to think of your problems in new, more empowering ways
Uses a wide range of techniques as appropriate
May ask you to do things between sessions
Will take as few sessions as possible
Will increase your self confidence and independence and make sure you feel better after each consultation

This list was originally published by the European Therapy Studies Institute (ETSI) to protect your-self or someone you know, from ineffective or harmful types of counselling or psychotherapy.