Counselling
What Is It?
How Does It Work?
What Happens During Treatment?
What Is It Used For?
Side Effects/Cautions
Recommended Books
What Is It?
There are times at any stage of our lives when we may need help addressing
problems and issues that cause us emotional distress or make us feel
overwhelmed. Professional counsellors provide the help, support and
respect people may need to master these challenges of life. Working
in a diverse range of settings and with a variety of areas of specialised
expertise, counsellors work with people to help them maximise their
potential, make positive changes in their lives, and achieve their
goals. Counsellors help to address issues such as anxiety, depression,
addictions, sexual abuse, relationship problems, and grief.
How Does It
Work?
Counselling helps people to explore conscious and unconscious thoughts
and feelings, and past and present experiences, with the aim of resolving
emotional conflicts and personal difficulties.
Counsellors are able to offer a different perspective, and to suggest
new or different approaches to coping with problems. By understanding
problems more clearly, and by trying out new coping strategies, quality
of life can dramatically improve.
Some counsellors specialise is areas such as rape crisis, marriage
guidance, or addictions.
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What Happens During
Treatment?
During a counselling session, all that is required is that you talk
about what is bothering you as openly and honestly as you can. Your
counsellor will listen to your concerns with respect and empathy, and
help you develop a better understanding of them so that you may deal
with them more easily and effectively.
Counsellors vary in how much talking they do in sessions and their
focus of discussion. Your counsellor will want to work with you, but
won’t do for you what you are capable of doing for yourself.
You may be asked to complete certain tasks or "homework" assignments
designed to improve communication and coping skills, strengthen self-esteem,
and promote positive behaviours.
Except under unusual circumstances, such as risk of harm to yourself
or others, your counsellor will maintain strict confidentiality.
Sessions usually last about an hour. The frequency of sessions depends
on the problem, with crisis situations requiring several sessions within
a short span of time. Most people attend one session each week until
improvement is seen.
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What Is It Used
For?
Counselling is recommended for people who have experienced some form
of trauma such as rape or other forms of sexual abuse, a car or plane
accident, violent crime, or a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
It is also used to treat anxiety, depression, stress, grief, family
or relationship problems, and can help people improve self-esteem and
assertiveness.
Side Effects/Cautions
Counselling is a safe therapy for everyone.
It is important to find a counsellor who you feel comfortable with.
If you have problems relating to a particular counsellor you may want
to try a different one.
References
Find
a Counsellor
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Recommended Books
Prices are in US Dollars
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Favorite Counseling And Therapy Techniques:
51 Therapists Share Their Most Creative Strategies
Howard G. Rosenthal
In this exciting book, some of the finest therapists in
the world reveal their favorite techniques. Albert Ellis,
the father of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy, explains
how he uses a tape recorder to help clients vigorously dispute
irrational thinking. Arnold Lazarus, the creator of Multimodal
Therapy, shows how he implements his innovative Time Tripping
Technique for rapidly dispelling emotional distress. Learn
from William Glasser, the founder of Reality Therapy, how
to integrate Choice Theory to become a more effective therapist.
Noted psychotherapy expert Raymond Corsini uses his highly
creative 'turning the tables' on the client to make clients
think like a counselor. Allen E. Ivey, pioneer in the area
of microcounseling attending skills, makes sessions more
productive by using his community genogram. Editor/Contributor
and Encyclopedia of Counseling author Howard Rosenthal uses
olfactory post hypnotic suggestions to eliminate undesirable
habits or ward off panic attacks. There are more than forty
other creative strategies that can be used to improve counseling
and therapy sessions.
Learn
more...
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Person-Centred Counselling in Action (Counselling
in Action series)
Dave Mearns
Widely regarded as a classic text, Person-Centred Counselling
in Action has now been revised and updated to take account
of recent developments in theory and practice. This bestselling
exploration of one of the most popular approaches in counselling
today is invaluable for students and experienced counsellors
alike.The authors explore the philosophical base to the approach
originated by Carl Rogers and stress the considerable personal
demands which it places upon practitioners. Using a comprehensive
case study to relate theory to practice, they discuss in
depth the core conditions of empathy, acceptance and congruence.
Central to the book is the insight it provides into how it
feels to be the counsellor and the client involved in a trusting,
caring, therapeutic relationship. As well as providing an
excellent starting point for all who wish to develop an understanding
of this widely used and highly valued approach, this edition
will be essential reading for experienced practitioners who
wish to remain at the cutting edge of an evolving discipline.
Learn
more...
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Grief: The Mourning After: Dealing with Adult Bereavement,
2nd Edition
Catherine M. Sanders
In this revised edition of her classic guide, Catherine
Sanders develops an integrative theory of bereavement that
serves as the basis for effective strategic interventions
for those suffering with grief. At the heart of her approach
is a model comprised of five distinct stages of bereavement
- shock, awareness of loss, conservation-withdrawal, healing,
and renewal. Her theory also emphasizes the need to tailor
interventions so as to allow the bereaved to experience grief
in a manner consistent with his or her unique personality.
Grief: The Mourning After is a necessary working resource
for psychotherapists, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses,
grief counsellors, and anyone who works in the health care
profession.
Learn
more...
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More
Counselling Books
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