Personal Counselling. Guide To Finding A Counsellor
Counselling is an arrangement where a client meets with a counsellor in total confidence and privacy in order to explore a difficulty of a personal nature that the client is experiencing. This could be dissatisfaction with their life, a problem or loss of sense of direction and purpose.
Counselling must be undertaken at the request of the client & no-one ought to be ‘sent’ for counselling. Sometimes people that are close to us such as family and friends will recommend counselling as a solution to a problem but a person should not be pressured to undertake counselling.
A counsellor will assist in the making of decisions about your life, they do not tell you what to do. If you are looking to have an answer delivered to you, then look in to another form of help such as support groups, local networks, advice agencies or telephone helplines.
A good source when seeking counselling help is The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) who produce a listing of accredited members in the UK. A BACP Accredited Counsellor has a level of experience and training which is appropriate to the Association. They are required to abide by a Code of Ethics & Practice.
Qualified and accredited counsellors are required to undertake counselling supervision sessions with an external counsellor. This enables them to speak freely and in confidence about their clients and their issues. Undertaking regular counselling themselves, enables counsellors to experience the role of the client with greater empathy.
Deciding which counsellor to employ has to be based on your own instincts. Talk to counsellors and do not be afraid to ask questions. A key question to ask yourself is if you feel comfortable speaking to this person about your personal life, do you feel secure with them, does the chemisty feel right and could you be open with them? The likelyhood of a successful outcome is not great if you do not feel comfortable with the counsellor.
The first appointment will be used to determine whether counselling would be appropriate to your situation & neither party is obliged to continue with further appointments. Practical considerations such as time, place, cost & number of sessions will be decided & you are free to ask questions about the counsellor’s professional background. All that takes place between counsellor & client remains private. An agreement is usually made during this first session about confidentiality.
The number of counselling sessions required depends on you, the counsellor & the issue. Deep rooted issues may require a weekly session for a few months. Short term counselling for a specific issue may only last a few weekly sessions. Often sessions early on in counselling may be difficult and uncomfortable for the client as the issues are initally explored, but as counselling progresses and the client experiences progress then the sessions become easier. It can be tempting to give up on counselling at this early point, but is highly advisable to continue until the benefits are realised and the personal issue is brought to a successful outcome.
During this initial counselling session you can get an idea of what is involved. It is vital that you are clear about what you require and what help the counsellor is offering. What is agreed at this point will form a contract between you and the counsellor.
If you do not feel right about the first counsellor you meet, then you should see another one. Having confidence and faith in your chosen counsellor is important and will help you to get the best outcome for yourself.
Learn more about Counselling. Stop by TSM Counselling’s site where you can find out all about Counselling Frequently Asked Questions.