What is counselling?

Counselling, psychotherapy, or simply therapy is a form of talking therapy that has been proven to be beneficial in helping people work through their issues. It provides a safe space for a person to talk with a trained professional, such as a counsellor or psychotherapist, in a confidential and non judgemental setting.

How long does counselling last?

The simple answer is that it can be as long or as short as you want. The client and counsellor mutually agree on a suitable meeting time that works for both of them. Depending on the client’s needs, therapy can last anywhere from six to eight sessions. As therapy is usually tailored to the client’s needs, it can also range from one session up to several weeks, months or even years in the case of psychotherapy.There is, however, a great deal of variety when it comes to the length of counselling. It is therefore important to communicate your needs and goals to your therapist to help them assess your needs. Ultimately, it depends on how deeply the client wants to make use of therapy.

Is counselling for me?

Counselling can be a safe and confidential space to explore any difficulties you might be experiencing in your life. It can provide a space to process traumatic events, difficult relationships and feelings of sadness or loneliness.

Counselling can be an incredibly serious business, but it doesn’t have to be without moments of humour. My clients and I often find ourselves laughing at the absurdity of many of the situations we encounter and our responses. Like life, therapy is a multifaceted experience that can adapt to the clients emotional states and needs. Beyond offering support in times of difficulty, I enjoy helping my clients take stock of their successes and achievements. What I mean is that counselling is not a one size fits all kind of deal, and clients have to understand that they get what they put in. It is ultimately up to each individual to decide if counselling is the right choice for them and what they are looking to get from the experience.

What therapy is best for me?

There are many forms of therapy, namely; psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural, humanistic therapies, and so forth. Each of these approaches has different theories underpinning it and the counsellor will use the approach they are trained in and that they consider best suits your particular needs or situation. Humanistic counselling considers the client, not the counsellor, to be the expert in their life. The counsellor therefore works with what the client brings to therapy. Humanistic Integrative counsellors draw on a number of therapeutic models which they tailor to suit their clients’ needs and preferences. The central belief is that people are able to determine their own future and to find solutions to their problems.

A good counsellor can hold space and support their client regardless of what approach they use. Therefore the most important aspect of therapy is the relationship or working alliance between client and therapist.

What counselling is not and what counsellors don’t do?

Counsellors don’t give advice and they don’t tell their clients what to do, contrary to popular belief. They don’t provide quick- fix solutions or any medical advice or treatment. Counselling is not about fixing someone, but rather helping them to better understand themselves, their situation and how they feel. It is through this process, that the client may begin to see a change. However, counselling is about giving the person space to explore who they are, with the understanding that the counsellor will be alongside them until they feel ready to walk on their own.

What issues do counsellors work with?

Some people may think that they should look for a counsellor based on the type of issue they need help with, for example anxiety or depression. However, it is important to remember that counselling is not tailored specifically to the issue, but rather to the individual.

Counsellors are trained in a variety of skills and techniques which can be applied to any issue or situation. Some counsellors may get additional training or have personal experience in a particular area, which can be beneficial to their work with their client. Counsellor training ensures that they have the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality services across the spectrum, and that they are able to do so regardless of the client’s presenting issue.

Finding a therapist

Finding the right therapist for you can be a daunting task and can involve trial and error. The first step is to make sure to find a qualified counsellor that is a member of a professional association such as the BACP and UKCP. Both of these organisations list counsellors on their websites, which would be a good place to start. They also help ensure that counsellors and psychotherapists are working according to an ethical framework which protects clients or others from harm. This is key to getting the best out of your counselling experience.

Research on the efficacy of counselling

“Meta- analyses of humanistic therapies, as a whole, support the hypothesis that they

are efficacious and effective forms of therapy, with a large average pre-post effect size of 0.99, reducing down to 0.89 when compared against wait- list or no- therapy controls(Elliott, Greenberg et al.)”

Research findings in the Humanistic Integrative approach support the idea that clients have a positive outcome in therapy when qualities such as empathy, accepting, collaborative and genuine therapeutic relationship are present between the client and counsellor.

So if you are having difficulty deciding what therapy is best for you, remember that results are not just dependent on the approach, but also on the connection and rapport between the counsellor and client.

By Lebo Molefe