About Counselling

On this page you will find answers to some questions you may have about counselling.

- What is counselling good for?

These days more and more people turn to talking therapies in order to address personal difficulties. You can enter counselling for a wide variety of reasons:
- stress
- anxiety
- conflict at work or home
- bereavement
- depression
- loss of confidence or motivation
- health problems
- addictions
- financial concerns
- feeling "stuck"
- feeling overwhelmed
- coping with crisis
- resolving specific problems
- making decisions
- developing personal insight and knowledge
- working through feelings of inner conflict
- improving relationships with others
... or any number of other issues, large or small, which crop up in everyday life.

- What to expect from counselling?

Counselling is not about getting direct advice, but to facilitate a process of finding your own ways to resolve what is troubling you and to develop your own resources for coping better in life. To demonstrate the value of this approach to my clients, I like to use a metaphor: Giving a piece of fish to a hungry man will feed him for a day; teaching him how to fish will feed him for life.
The chance to explore your difficulties in a non-judgmental and understanding atmosphere with a trained professional will often help you to understand why advice that is freely offered by your friends, family or books may not work for you. Effective counselling will assist you to find your own unique answers to problems that suit your individual circumstances, abilities and preferences. Talking about your issues openly in a supportive environment can also bring great emotional relief and increase your motivation and confidence to make positive changes in your life.



- Is counselling effective?

Research repeatedly shows that counselling and therapy are effective – those who receive it are 80% better off than untreated counterparts. This is not related to any particular theoretical approach because differences in technique do not seem to contribute greatly to effectiveness. Several studies illustrate that the two key factors in change as a result of therapy are the therapeutic alliance between client and therapist ( ~ 60%) based on their agreement on goals and tasks and the quality of their relationship and allegiance or your commitment intellectually and emotionally to therapy ( ~ 30%) , with only about 5% due to therapeutic approach or technique. In practice, this means that it is more important that you and your counsellor can build a good working relationship and you trust the unfolding counselling process than what type of counselling you are receiving.



- What happens on the first counselling session?

Because the success of our work together will be dependent on whether we can create a good working relationship, our first session will be about finding out whether counselling with me is the right thing for you. For this reason, I offer a low cost initial session for my clients with no further obligation. On the first session I will do my best to understand your specific needs based on your current situation and past experiences. I also answer any question you may have about counselling and my approach to it. If my approach feels right for you and I am also confident that taking up counselling with me will benefit you, we can agree about the practical details about our work together. I can also advise you about other therapists or services, if either of us feels that you could benefit from a different approach or setting.



- Is counselling confidential?

Whatever you discuss with me during a counselling session remains strictly confidential. However, it is important to know that there are some exceptions to this due to professional or legal requirements. These exceptions are:
• Where there is a threat of physical violence or significant harm to self or other persons
• At supervision, which is necessary to maintain good clinical practice
• If subpoenaed by a court to disclose information directly relating to a crime.
I inform my clients, whenever possible in advance, if it is required to share any information about our work in accordance to these exceptions.



- What is supervision?

It is a professional requirement that counsellors attend regular supervision by a suitably trained and experienced Counsellor or Psychotherapist in order to monitor and improve their practice. During supervision, some clinical material is discussed, typically without full name or other details that may identify the identity of the client. This is an important way to ensure that you get counselling that is safe and adheres to high professional standards.



- What is the difference between a counsellor/ psychotherapist / psychiatrist?

There are similarities between these professions, as they all assist people with emotional, psychological or mental health problems. The difference lies mainly in their type of training and qualifications, which has an impact on the nature of services they can provide.

A fully qualified Counsellor would have typically about 3 years long specialist counselling training. However, currently there is no state regulation in the UK about the minimum training required to practice as a counsellor, so it is always advisable to check their training and professional memberships. For example, BACP membership (which entitles the use of letters: MBACP) indicates that the counsellor’s training has been approved by the BACP, as well as a comittment to adhere to the BACP Ethical and Professional Standards. Accreditation to a professional body, like BACP or UKCP requires longer experience with clients and providing further evidence of a suitably high standard of professional practice. A counsellor can work with a wide range of clients but would typically refer clients with more severe psychological problems to experienced Psychotherapists or Psychiatrists.

Psychotherapist training is similar to counselling training, but typically it is at least 4 years long and includes more in-depth training about complex psychological conditions. Similarly to counsellors, it is always advisable to check their training and professional memberships. Psychotherapists can work with a wider range of clients, especially if they require intensive or long-term therapy.

Psychiatrists have many years of medical training, with further specialisation in medical approaches to mental health problems, especially complex and acute cases. They can prescribe medication to clients, so they are particularly suited to work with mental health conditions that may require medication. Some clients can also benefit from talking therapies provided by a Counsellor or Psychotherapist in addition to medication prescribed by a Psychiatrist.



- How to choose a counsellor?

Many research findings point out the importance of the quality of the therapeutic relationship for effective counselling. When choosing a counsellor, you need to decide whether the idea of working together feels right for you. I offer a low cost first appointment for you to decide whether you feel comfortable and safe enough to talk to me openly about the issues you bring. I will also encourage you to ask as many questions as you need to decide whether counselling with me is the right thing for you.



- What is the difference between counselling approaches?

There is a bewildering array of approaches to counselling and psychotherapy, which can be confusing when looking for the right type of therapy for you. One way to start is to decide whether you would prefer one to one counselling or would like to work together with your partner, your family or a supportive group. When choosing a practitioner, find out about how they work and decide whether their approach sits with you comfortably. Any therapist with good professional standards and integrity would also tell you whether their approach suits the issues you bring. As an Integrative Counsellor, I am able to offer a variety of approaches to my clients, which suits many people. You can read further details about how I work on this website.

You can also find further information about various approaches to therapy at:
http://www.sussex-counselling.co.uk/about/



- How long does counselling take?

The length of counselling you require can vary greatly, depending on the issues you would like to resolve and your circumstances. Typically, clients can benefit from shorter counselling (6-12 sessions over a 6-12 week period) when there is a clear focus to our work or dealing with some new situations in your life. Long term or complex issues can benefit from working in an open-ended way, to allowing you to take the time you need.



- Can I bring my partner or other family members along?

Typically, I see individual clients only. Any exception to this would be agreed in advance, should your situation make this neccessary. I can also recommend suitable couple, family or group therapists, if I feel that you would benefit from these types of therapies.



- What else can I do to get better?

As a holistic practitioner, I believe that there are significant and complex connections between our mind, body and spirit. Many research evidence supports this view, as well. This means that improvements to your physical health can improve your emotional well-being. For example, simple exercise, especially outdoors, like walking or gardening has proven benefits for mental health issues and for improving your mood. Getting enough sleep is also very beneficial, so if you struggle with insomnia it is especially important to get help with that. Many alternative therapies that focus on the body can similarly improve your emotional state. Changes to the environment that surrounds you can also have a positive impact on how you feel.

If you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), you can make very dramatic improvements to your well-being by getting as much rest as you need, which would be usually more than 7-8 hours. If you have difficulty with sleeping, even just lying in a dark room with closed eyes helps or any other kind of relaxation technique. Introduce quiet breaks between activities and avoid rushing by giving yourself extra time to get ready. Reduce overstimulation and stress from your life whatever way you can and you will be rewarded with feeling energised and happier.

You may find it easy to make some practical steps like these and feel better. If making this kind of changes is not so easy for you, counselling can explore the nature of your difficulties and support you to find what works better for you.

- How can I tell if I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?

Based on the research findings of Dr. Elaine Aron, there are four general categories of symptoms indicating that you have a highly sensitive nervous system, also known as, Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS). Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) have greater depth of processing; i.e. you feel and think more deeply than average, which means that you tend to reflect more before acting or speaking and find decision making difficult, but generally tend to make good ones. You also have a greater tendency for overarousal, which may mean that you show unusual nervousness or chronic stress, have difficulty with transitions and prefer to avoid highly stimulating situations. HSPs also tend to have greater emotional intensity, which means that both your positive or negative feelings can be stronger than average in all situations where emotions are appropriate, although how much of this you actually express can vary greatly. And finally, you also show signs of sensory sensitivity, which can mean that you are able to distinguish more subtleties with your senses and/or have lower threshold for noticing and/or low tolerance of high levels of sensory input. This means that you may be more sensitive to loud sounds, rough textures, strong smells or cold drafts than the average person.
If you have some of these symptoms, you can take an online Self-Test to determine, if you are a Highly Sensitive Person. I also encourage you to check out the HSP Links on this website for more information or by the book: The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Survive and Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

- What difference does it make if I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?

Highly sensitive people were born with a more finely tuned central nervous system, which can process more subtle information and also tend to think and feel more deeply than the average person. About 15-20% of people have this characteristic, and just like other personality traits, this seems to be fairly constant throughout your life. In spite of the many benefits of being an HSP, like being more creative, conscientious, thoughtful and reliable, you may not like some of the other symptoms, like needing more downtime or feeling easily overwhelmed when too much is going on. But high sensitivity is a package deal and part of who you are, so it can save a lot of heartache to know what is best to accept about yourself and not waste your life trying to fight it. Your sensitivity is a real gift, if you learn to use its advantages and cope well with its challenges. Knowing whether you are highly sensitive or not, also can make a real difference in your therapy, as we can focus on healing your hurts and creating a life that suits your temperament, instead of getting stuck with trying to change things about you that are innate parts of you. The difference can really mean knowing how to stop just surviving and start thriving!

- What kind of counselling suit best HSPs?

If you are highly sensitive, it can be very beneficial to look for a counsellor who had some training in working with HSPs or at least read books about this trait. Awareness about this is a lot more important than whether your counsellor is highly sensitive or not or the therapeutic approach used. Of course, there are plenty of advantages of working with a highly sensitive therapist, as well, as you will probably feel more comfortable about talking about your issues and feel well heard. Your highly sensitive counsellor will also have personal experience of coping with intense emotions, overarousal or other problems associated with being an HSP. If you are looking for counselling at the moment, give me a call on 07979 604 554, as I am a highly sensitive counsellor and also have training in working with high sensitivity. If you are already in therapy, you can also ask your therapist to read one of Dr. Elaine Aron’s books or at least read the information on her website, which can make a real difference for your progress and how much you feel understood by your therapist.