What is Counselling?

Counselling is the use of listening and change techniques in a safe and supportive environment. Counselling itself has a number of different styles, including person centred, humanistic, pastoral, spiritual, motivational and eclectic. Counselling and Psychotherapy are very similar. Indeed some people argue that they are one therapy, just different approaches.  We have a network of professionals providing Hypnotherapy and NLP in locations throughout the UK including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Carlisle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Harley Street London.

There are many kinds of Counselling:

• Person Centred: This is the classic style of counselling that most people associate with. The counsellor is a "mirror", listening to the client and then using a variety of techniques to help the client understand the deeper meanings of what they have said. Thus understanding and eventually healing and change can come about.
  

• Humanistic: Closely related to person centred counselling. The major focus of humanistic counselling is on the positive. Thus the person is assisted in addressing positive outcomes and desires more than dwelling on past events.
  

• Grief and Bereavement: This is a specialist area of counselling dealing with the specific issues associated with loss, bereavement and grief..
  

• Motivational (drug and addiction): The use of positive thinking and honest appraisal of the pros and cons of habits and addictions in order to help a client overcome addictions, habits and activities that required change.
  

• Lifestyle: A new hybrid of techniques that frankly has more similarity to life coaching than to counselling. It deals with positive change and planning to attain goals.
  

• Pastoral and spiritual: The specific use of religious or spiritual models, depending on the background of the client, to deal specifically with faith and spiritual issues.
  

• Eclectic: The combination of a variety of different styles, and possibly other therapies such as psychotherapy and life coaching, to create a flexible model tailored to the needs of the client.
  

• Clinical counselling: The use of a range of counselling styles to deal with medical or clinical conditions. This should not be treated as an alternative to medical treatment, indeed it should be provided in conjunction to conventional medical support.
  

• Specialised: Gay issues, Female or Male issues, Couple or marital issues, Bisexual issues, cultural issues, lesbian issues, carer issues, learning disability issues, Autistic Spectrum Disorder issues. 
  

The above is not a comprehensive list, as there are many variations on the theme. This includes specialist work such as pain management and post traumatic stress counselling assistance.

As you can see from the list given, there are close links between Counselling and other well established therapies, and it is essential, and long standing good practice, to be well qualified in the other therapies too. Avoid any therapist who is insufficiently qualified. Many organisations (including the much publicised BACP) have a large number of unaccredited counsellors. Always ensure appropriate accreditation.

What can Counselling help with?

A huge range of issues can be assisted to some degree or another. Most emotional issues and disturbances can be helped to some degree with counselling. 

More complex cases such as deep lack of self esteem, severe phobias, depression, anxiety, emotional problems, anger management, severe stress and so forth respond well, especially when combined with psychotherapy.  Of course all medical / clinical issues must be in conjunction with support from a medical doctor.

Qualifications. What do I look for in Counselling?

Until recently this has been a difficult area. Counselling has no statutory body of registration. Many so called "registers" exist, all claiming to represent the industry. 

There is NO ONE REGISTER of Counsellors. Some are very good, and quality ranges from very good to hopeless. Size is also not always an indication. The well known BACP is very large, but boasts a high proportion of UNACCREDITED members.

There are National Occupational Standards for Counselling, as well as a range of other related standards, and these are the true measure of the quality of service.

There are two main vocational qualification routes for non medical qualification in counselling (some university courses also exist, of varying quality). :

NVQ Accreditation via the Advice and Guidance Awards
ASET accreditation via Counselling, Counselling Speciality and Psychotherapy Awards

University courses often provide a good qualification in counselling, although their primary accreditation is often via the BACP, which is a purely independent body with a large proportion of unaccredited members.

You are strongly advised to look for adherence to National Occupational Standards, ASET / NVQ accreditation and membership of a substantial professional body such as an appropriate Royal Society, the UKCP, NACHP. Being registered with a professional body ensures ongoing monitoring and adherence to a code of conduct and ethics.

You can check our NVQ, ASET and National Occupational Standard policies and qualifications here: ABOUT US

Assistance is not just for individuals. Assistance is available for couples, families and those who care for others.