The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #99502 Message #1983278
Posted By: Helen
01-Mar-07 - 05:53 PM
Thread Name: BS: psychotherapy/counselling
Subject: RE: BS: psychotherapy/counselling
I have seen counsellors at four different times of my life, from late teenage to only about a year ago when I was told I was losing my job. The reasons over the years were mostly for issues relating to work.
I see good counsellors as good listeners who can help to unravel a problem, or often a set of entangled problems, help me to discover why I am in this situation, and importantly for me, help me to work out strategies for working through the problems to solutions. The good ones seem to be good at listening and asking pertinent questions. I have never heard one of them tell me what I "should" do. They have let me work out my own strategies but guided me towards better understanding of my own and other people's behaviour.
As Amos said - "what a difference in such a short time!". I've been to one counsellor who didn't know specifically about the situation I was in, i.e. I was being bullied at work by a very manipulative and nasty person, so I found it frustrating trying to talk to that counsellor, but she still provided a caring opportunity to talk about my problem.
I have never been to a psychiatrist, and psychiatry seems to be more about mental illness including prescribing medicines to try to correct or deal with the disease. A general practice doctor I was singularly unimpressed with tried to manipulate me into going to a psychiatrist, at the time that I was being bullied, by telling me that she (the psychiatrist) was a "counsellor, but she has a medical degree". No thanks!
I think that some people resist seeking help from counsellors, but if you can find a good counsellor the process can be very effective in a surprisingly short time. On the other hand, I have met some psychologists and/or counsellors who I wouldn't entrust my dog with.
Helen