On this page I provide the BACP's definition of counselling as well as a brief description of the approach I use.
The BACP definition of counselling
Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction and purpose. It is always at the request of the client as no one can properly be 'sent' for counselling.
By listening attentively and patiently the counsellor can begin to perceive the difficulties from the client's point of view and can help them to see things more clearly, possibly from a different perspective. Counselling is a way of enabling choice or change or of reducing confusion. It does not involve giving advice or directing a client to take a particular course of action. Counsellors do not judge or exploit their clients in any way.
In the counselling sessions the client can explore various aspects of their life and feelings, talking about them freely and openly in a way that is rarely possible with friends or family. Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and embarrassment can become very intense and counselling offers an opportunity to explore them, with the possibility of making them easier to understand. The counsellor will encourage the expression of feelings and as a result of their training will be able to accept and reflect the client's problems without becoming burdened by them.
Acceptance and respect for the client are essentials for a counsellor and, as the relationship develops, so too does trust between the counsellor and client, enabling the client to look at many aspects of their life, their relationships and themselves which they may not have considered or been able to face before. The counsellor may help the client to examine in detail the behaviour or situations which are proving troublesome and to find an area where it would be possible to initiate some change as a start. The counsellor may help the client to look at the options open to them and help them to decide the best for them.
Ref: BACP What is Counselling?
There are three main approaches to counselling: psychodynamic, behaviourist and humanist. Person-centred counselling, which I offer, is part of the humanist movement. It was founded by Carl Rogers who developed his approach from the 1940s until his death in 1987. He broke from the Freudian psychoanalytical approach, which emphasises the expertise of the counsellor and the diagnosis of the client, to establish a model that understands the client as the expert regarding her/his own life and the counsellor as someone who accompanies and supports that client as s/he works through issues s/he brings to the sessions. Each person has within her/himself ‘vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes, and self-directed behaviour – and that these resources can be tapped only if a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided’ (Carl Rogers, A Way of Being). For Rogers, the goal is the ‘good life’ which is a process not a static condition. He understood human beings as striving to fulfil their potential, even when conditions around us make that difficult. Sometimes we lose our sense of self as a result of the competing messages we receive as we grow and develop. Counselling can help us to get back in contact with ‘the self we truly are’ and in doing so, can help ease anxieties and apprehensions that may inhibit our enjoyment of the ‘good life’.
To help the client, the counsellor has three core conditions: empathy (that is, understanding the world from the client’s perspective); unconditional positive regard (which means that the client is treated with respect and regard at all times); and congruence (that is, the counsellor is genuine and open with the client). The counsellor does not direct the client but may ask questions for clarification or reflect back the client’s thoughts and words to help the client ‘hear’ her/himself better and so lead to better self-knowledge and self-awareness.
Although some people may respond better to one counselling approach over another, the most important aspect of counselling is the quality of the relationship between counsellor and client. If this relationship does not work, it does not matter which approach is being used, it will not be as effective as one where there is good rapport and trust between client and counsellor. For this reason I offer an initial 20 minute free consultation so that the client and I can get a sense of one another and whether we can work together. At this stage the contract is discussed and we agree a series of sessions if that is what is decided.
The links page offers suggestions for reading if you require further information or contact me directly to discuss any aspects of the process.