What is counselling?
Counselling falls under the umbrella term ‘talking therapies’ and allows people to discuss their problems and any difficult feelings they encounter in a safe, confidential environment.
The term can mean different things to different people, but in general, it is a process people seek when they want to change something in their lives, or simply explore their thoughts and feelings in more depth.
A counsellor is not there to sit you down and tell you what to do.
Instead, they will encourage you to talk about what’s bothering you in order to uncover any root causes and identify your specific ways of thinking.
The counsellor may then look to create a plan of action to either help you reconcile your issues, or help you to find ways of coping.
Counselling does not come in a cookie-cutter format and each session is generally tailored to the individual.
There is flexibility within this type of therapy that allows for a variety of counselling formats.
Counselling Formats
- Individual or group – You may choose to see a counsellor by yourself, or if you prefer you could join a counselling group with people experiencing similar issues. Going to a group counselling session can be helpful if you want to discuss your issues with people who are going through similar problems and you may even gain yourself a support n etwork.Alternatively, you may wish to see a counsellor alone to preserve your privacy and concentrate on your own feelings.
- Online counselling – Some people prefer not to physically speak to a counsellor at all, utilising technology and emailing their counsellor instead. This form of counselling allows you to take the time to think through what you wish to discuss, and many find the act of physically writing their issues down cathartic. Online counselling also offers you the chance to protect your anonymity.
Online therapy
Simply put, online therapy/counselling is any form of counselling that is conducted over the Internet. This could be via email or via a messaging service that allows the counsellor to talk to the client in real-time. Whatever mode of Internet communication is used, online counselling is an ideal way for many individuals to seek confidential and professional support.
While some experts believe the efficacy of online therapy is not as strong as face to face, there is mounting evidence to suggest that the outcome of these methods is at least equal to the effects of traditional counselling. Leading medical journal The Lancet, previously published a study validating claims that online cognitive behavioural therapy is just as effective in treating depression as traditional therapy.
Remember to give your telephone and online sessions time. Like face-to-face counselling, it can take a while to adapt to the process and for you and your therapist to develop a rapport with each other… The most important thing is that you have reached out for help, and are giving yourself access to resources that can help you to achieve the changes you are looking for.
