Counselling

Former Member

I did search but didnt come up with a lot. I start on wednesday with an assessment to work out my needs. I'm really nervous about, what kind of questions should I expect etc?Thanks in advance xXx

Former Member

In my case, what they started to do was ask questions about my situation in general to start off. For example, whether at school, college or uni, whether I'm working, what my social life is like, how long I've been feeling like this, why I've been referred for counselling... nothing out of the ordinary.

Former Member

:mad: this is getting ridiculous, last appt they gave me I was in Scotland and now? I'd got it all planned getting the train from school..the train station caught fire :mad: am currently trying to get a lift with a mate.

Former Member

Girl_gunner wrote:

:mad: this is getting ridiculous, last appt they gave me I was in Scotland and now? I'd got it all planned getting the train from school..the train station caught fire :mad: am currently trying to get a lift with a mate.

the station caught fire? :eek2:

Former Member

yeh that was pretty much my face when i heard. ridiculous. have sorted a lift now.phew.

Former Member

Girl_gunner wrote:

yeh that was pretty much my face when i heard. ridiculous. have sorted a lift now.phew.

Well, good luck with that on Wednesday anyway.

Former Member

Know the feeling, gas leak at the station I was going through to get to therapy this am. Growl.

Ok, so my assessment process was 4 appointments, which I wasn't expecting, and basically it was to work out what I need from them, and to check I was "compatible" with the psychotherapist.

The sessions themselves will just be like any other counselling/therapy sessions you've had in the past.

Good luck!

Former Member

piccolo wrote:

The sessions themselves will just be like any other counselling/therapy sessions you've had in the past.

I've never had one.eeeeeek

Former Member

on a first appointment they generally just want to get the gist of your situation. they'll ask you about what's been going on, how you've been feeling, maybe a little about your past, what you want to gain from your sessions. that kind of thing.

it's normal to feel a bit nervous, but you don't have to worry. once you get your head round dicussing the intimate details of your emotions with a total stranger, it's actually quite liberating. I can tell things to my therapist that i would feel utterly stupid telling anyone else. and there's nothing like telling someone everything for getting a weight lifted off your shoulders.

Former Member

Copied straight from my livejournal.

So I was nervous as hell this morning. Infact so nervous I blitzed through my supposed half hour assessment in a quarter of an hour. Was scary, this randomer asking me all this stuff but I jus went for honesty and she's allocationg me an individual counsellor for asap.

Former Member

from now on...
all i can say is ...
fuck all counsellors !!!
and all people who PRETEND to help. :shocking:

Former Member

^^ thanks. that was really helpful.much. :rolleyes:

Former Member

aye, honest's the best policy. they can't help you if they don't know what the deal is.

good to hear it went ok. it's never the most fun in the world, but it could be the thing that makes all the difference

Former Member

i would hate..actually resent to be pyscho-analysed, i'm a very analytical person myself and i wouldn't want someone telling me whats wrong and what i sohuld do to help myself, in fact it would make me worse off i think...but good luck anyway with it..

Former Member

otter wrote:

from now on...
all i can say is ...
fuck all counsellors !!!
and all people who PRETEND to help. :shocking:

Everyone has different experiences of counselling - try to remember that one bad experience doesn't mean you'll never get any good help.

Former Member

spanner wrote:

Everyone has different experiences of counselling - try to remember that one bad experience doesn't mean you'll never get any good help.

I think it's sad that Otter equates all counsellors with not helping. A friend at work is training to be a counsellor and that aren't there to help you, they're there to help you help yourself. She isn't allowed to offer and solutions or answers, but to guide you to understand your own feelings better.

Former Member

BumbleBee wrote:

I think it's sad that Otter equates all counsellors with not helping. A friend at work is training to be a counsellor and that aren't there to help you, they're there to help you help yourself. She isn't allowed to offer and solutions or answers, but to guide you to understand your own feelings better.

and also a lot of people find that just the act of telling someone 'safe' everything there is to tell helps enormously. lifts a weight off your shoulders and all that.

you can tell them honestly how you feel, and they'll never give you the silent treatment, or refuse to cook your tea, or throw you out of their house. they just listen. that can be really helpful.

Former Member

kaffrin wrote:

they'll never give you the silent treatment.

Except the first 5 minutes when they insist you're the one to start the conversation... gah! I never know how to deal with that one.

(I know that's not what you meant, just occurred to me).

Former Member

piccolo wrote:

Except the first 5 minutes when they insist you're the one to start the conversation... gah! I never know how to deal with that one.

Oh my god, tell me about it, I always hate that first few minutes. I always end up saying something really stupid and irrelevant, whilst she just sits and listens and waits for me to say something that's actually vaguely relevant and not complete babble :rolleyes:

Former Member

got to be honest, the poeple i have known to go for counselling are just being dicks (not saying anyone here is) and much respect to any counsellor cos the amount of crap they must sit and listen to thinking - fuck me, get over yourself, your normal happy and healthy and you are here on either the nhs or £80 an hour to talk about stupid problems youare more than capable of dealing with just cant be bothered.

i coped wth mental illness because my parents stood next to me and made me tell my social worker i was attention seeking and everything was fine, because of that abandonment i learnt to stand on my own to feet and deal with my emotions, not that i always can deal with them, i had no choice, thats life............sometimes people fall into counselling like some people fall into claiming benefits, cos its easier than going out and sorting a job, or their head......

there was a physchologist (i studied at a level but cant remember now) who practised by the "pull your socks up" approach.....and i serisouly think its what most people need !!!

Former Member

When i went to my assessment thingy, was really weird, like sat chattin to a really good mate about anything in the world that pissed me off or made me feel down.
Nothing to worry about, is great to get everything out of ya system. amazed me how much it actually helped!
Good luck!

Former Member

otter wrote:

from now on...
all i can say is ...
fuck all counsellors !!!
and all people who PRETEND to help. :shocking:

Amen. :banghead:

I'm not saying it cant be benificial to you. (Heh Yeah, Maybe to you.. :yuck: )
They were patronising and didnt give a shit my problems just when they get their next paycheck. And you know how appointments take ages in the UK dont they? Not very nice when every waking hour in fear your thoughts are being tapped into, And other things.

Sorry, But i'm just warning you. Dont expect too much from them.
Personally, I wouldnt trust them, But hey i'm just being paranoid right..

:crazyeyes

Former Member

Atma wrote:

Amen. :banghead:

I'm not saying it cant be benificial to you. (Heh Yeah, Maybe to you.. :yuck: )
They were patronising and didnt give a shit my problems just when they get their next paycheck. And you know how appointments take ages in the UK dont they? Not very nice when every waking hour in fear your thoughts are being tapped into, And other things.

Sorry, But i'm just warning you. Dont expect too much from them.
Personally, I wouldnt trust them, But hey i'm just being paranoid right..

:crazyeyes

You could meet ANYONE and then assume that all people with the same job as that person you met is going to be exactly the same. Youd be within your rights, but it wouldnt make it true.
My mum has been a counsellor for years. Shes done various types. but now is a bereavement counsellor for cruse. Shes highly qualified but she has never done it as paid work, she volunteers one day a week.
If you say fuck all counsellors then youre including my mum in that, as well as all the other thousands and thousands of skilled counsellors that have changed peoples lives for the better.
I appreciate that you had a bad experience but that doesnt make all counsellors crap any more than a black person breaking into your car would make all black people bad.
see what i mean?