Counselling
Many people have found that talking therapy has been an important part of their treatment for depression. There is plenty of evidence that counselling can be effective, for example some studies have shown that for mild to moderate depression cognitive behavioural therapy is at least as good as antidepressants.
If you are thinking of starting a course of counselling there are a few things it is helpful to remember:
The counsellor is not there to advise you or “sort you out”; their role is to help you to work through things which are troubling you.
Counselling is hard work; you are likely to find it draining so you need to plan ways to look after yourself. You will probably need to have some space to think after sessions.
Counselling can be upsetting or unsettling in the short term. Talking about painful events and feelings and challenging thought patterns can be tough as well as life-changing.
Just because a course of counselling is helpful, it doesn’t mean that
you will never need help in the future. Life is constantly changing and you
may be in a situation again where counselling could help or even be more
effective because you are in a better place to address the issues. So don’t
rule out counselling just because you have tried it before.
How to get started
Talking therapies are available on the NHS so your first step is to talk to your GP and ask them to refer you. There are waiting lists but they are not as long as they were.
Arranging counselling for yourself
There are two local voluntary organisations which provide affordable counselling with trained counsellors:
Open Door -
www.opendoorcounselling.org.uk
The Counselling Partnership -
www.thecounsellingpartnership.org
Alternatively, you could contact one of the counsellors practicing privately in the area. It is advisable to use a counsellor who is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. You can visit their websites to find local counsellors.
Another website which gives useful advice on finding a counsellor privately
is
www.counselling-directory.org.uk