Counselling: an Introduction

The principle behind counselling is that it helps enormously to share problems with someone who is there to listen and try and understand how things are for you the client. The counsellor is unbiased and there to offer support and strength during emotional times. More importantly they can help you unravel the reasons behind issues such as depression, substance abuse and low self esteem, or come to terms with childhood pain caused by bereavement or sexual abuse. Counselling is a process during which you will come to know yourself, to understand why you engage in the same destructive behaviour or repeat the same patterns, it is a journey of self discovery which can be painful and difficult, but the end result is a more fulfilling and enlightened life.

There are many different forms of counselling, each with different ideas about how the human psyche has developed and different ways of working with issues. For example Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is concerned with a client's behaviour and the context in which this takes place, with a view to learning new ways of behaving . Psychodynamic Therapy is more interested in the client's unconscious thought processes and believes that childhood experience provides answers for today's problems. Brief Solution Focussed Therapy is a more short term therapy that concentrates on one issue and tries to find ways of solving this, good for work problems and relationship issues. Humanistic counsellors place great importance on the relationship between client and counsellor and believe in the essentially positive nature of human life, they tend to work more creatively and are more client led.

Counselling is suitable for most people and most problems, providing you really want to change your life and are willing to experience some emotional turmoil along the way. Counselling is not suitable for people with mental illness, who have different needs and will benefit from psychotherapy or psychiatry.

Copyright ©2001 Louise Stroud. All rights reserved.

Louise Stroud works in private practice, in partnership with four colleagues, from a Humanistic tradition.
She enjoys working creatively with tools such as art therapy, play therapy, dream work, anger gymnasiums, anything really that the client feel may facilitates the expression of feelings and emotions. She has experience of long and short term therapy and has worked with many issues including survivors of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexuality, depression, relationships, loss and repressed anger.

Berkshire Therapy Partnership, 10 Eldon Road, Reading, UK

Phone:0781 7095353