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sessions is of the utmost importance. You should be encouraged to look at this at an early stage and perhaps consider techniques you can draw on to 'put things to bed' until next time. The
therapist should help you learn this skill. On the other hand, you may want to do some personal work between sessions: the most important thing is to find what works for you.
At present, any person can call him or herself a 'counsellor' or 'therapist'. This lack of clarity about qualifications is likely to be tightened up in time, and such people will have to be accredited by a nationally recognised body. If you are referred by a statutory service, you can expect this to have been clarified by that service. If you independently seek counselling or psychotherapy, it is up to you to be sure about the credibility of that service.
Counselling generally deals with problems arising from specific life situations, and some services are set to help with particular problems, for example Sexual Health or Bereavement. Counselling aims to help or empower us to help ourselves and look at options for change and alternative coping strategies.
Psychotherapy usually looks at the influence of past and
childhood experiences on present difficulties, and takes place over a longer period of time. It can help people take control of their lives differently and make positive changes for themselves.
There are different approaches used within counselling and
psychotherapy. These include Cognitive Therapy and
Transactional Analysis.
Cognitive Therapy is based on the idea that how we think largely determines the way we feel. It teaches us to recognise and
challenge upsetting thoughts. Learning to challenge these negative and fear-inducing thoughts helps us to think more
realistically and feel better.
Transactional Analysis (TA) provides a simple method of
understanding our feelings and behaviour. It rests upon the
assumptions that: people are okay; everyone has the capacity to think, and that people decide their own destiny and that these
decisions can be changed.
Not surprisingly, there is increasing interest in the value of talking
therapies and each GP Practice will, in time,
be able to offer more of this.
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