Therapy name: Counselling
Regulatory Body: British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Efficacy: Relationship problems, alcohol misuse, sexual problems, eating disorders
Overview: Counselling is a contractual arrangement where the counsellor and client meet to explore dissatisfaction and difficulties that the client is having.
How it works: The counsellor listens to the client attentively. This enables them to see the problems from the perspective of the client; they can then help the client to see the problems from a range of viewpoints.
The client is able to talk freely and openly to the counsellor knowing that they are talking to a person outside of the situation who will not judge them. Bottled up feelings can become more intense; an opportunity to express these can lead to greater understanding of them.
What to expect: The counselling process varies according to the approach of the counsellor. Short-term specific problems may only require a few sessions whereas deep-rooted difficulties may need a weekly session over a number of months.
Known Contraindications: