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Mental health

Does counselling really work?

4 replies

Ridingthestorm · 18/12/2014 21:24

I had my first of five sessions today. I was nervous; wasn't sure how they would begin. As it turned out, I talked A LOT! I think today I needed to offload what had happened and what had been said to me in the past four months, with links to past events too. So much to say, so little time!

I came out of the meeting feeling okay. I reflected in the car about the session and came to the conclusion that my workload, the pressure my boss was putting me under as well as DH not being supportive with my job or home life, mainly caring for our son, was contributing to my stress. In fact, the workload could be resolved quite easily if DH was supportive of me going part time but DH is not supportive of this.

But later on today, I felt as though I was going back to square one. In the session I was asked to grade on a scale of 1-10 various points in my 'illness'. Lowest was a 3 - when I first went off sick and again two weeks ago when the GP signed me off for a further six weeks - and the highest was 7 which was achieved in the past two weeks because I did virtually nothing except sit on my backside at home!!! Now I feel like a 4.

Is it normal to feel so low and down after a counselling session? i can't see how after five sessions that things would be better. How exactly does this work? I understand the counsellor won't tell me what to do or take sides with me etc, etc.
How is anyone stronger after only this amount of sessions?

OP posts:
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Iwasinamanbunit · 18/12/2014 23:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FaithLoveandGrace · 19/12/2014 00:04

Hi, I think it depends on what you're discussing and how much you're engaging. Some days I've come out of counselling feeling so much worse and just wanting to curl up in a ball and stay there. Other times I've come out feeling great. I have long term issues which take much longer than 5 sessions so I can't comment on the usefulness of such a short amount though sorry. Hopefully someone else will come along who does have experience. Keep at it though :) it's great you've managed to get counselling and it will help even if it doesn't completely solve the issues.

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SilverStars · 19/12/2014 18:13

For me the counselling was a space to talk and realise what I needed to change or how to accept what I could not change. For instance many of my issues were triggered by a long commute and infertility - counsellor cannot fix these things as that is not their role. Made me realise needed to either rent nearer job/move house or job and look seriously into ivf for eg. Did not mean easy time ahead but made me realise only I could change things and was up to me. Involving a few friends or family etc in those changes took some pressure off.

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newgirl · 19/12/2014 18:16

It sounds as if your concerns have all come to the front of your mind now. Hopefully each session will help you tackle them one by one.

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