Have you been to any kind of counselling or therapy and...

[OhioOhioOhio]

...did it help?

How did you know it helped?

Why did it help?

I'm on my 3rd session. I know I've had a tiny shift in my head but not really sure what.

Also this time I notice I'm waiting for her to tell me how to get myself fixed.

She's totally non committal and is all about me finding an answer for me.

I've spent a lot of time saying 'I don't know...'

How is it supposed to be?

I did CBT which was a waste of time for me, and then did private EMDR for anxiety. I think you have to find the the right approach for what you need. If you want someone to ask questions, offer insight and actively work with you then counselling probably won’t be the right for you. You may benefit from working with a psychiatrist or someone who works in a more collaborative way. We have a counsellor at work, cancer charity, and she mostly just nods and listens and leaves us to talk things out. I don’t find it helpful I want dialogue but others enjoy the space it provides.

Several times. First two didn’t help whatsoever but I wasn’t really in a head space to let them help me. Last one did help I suppose. What probably helped more was maturing/age growing away from the traumatic experience that I’d had to need the counselling.

I first saw a counsellor, though admittedly only for 2 or 3 sessions as I just didn't feel we 'clicked' and I was struggling to properly open up to her at all. (I really think making sure you feel you click with whoever you're seeiing is one of the most important things!). After than I've done CBT a few times, and DBT once. I found DBT the most helpful as I think it gives you practical ways of working through things that you can really apply outside of the sessions. I think it does take 3-4 sessions before you really settle into therapy and start to feel real improvements.

I've been seeing a counsellor to help with anxiety. It's sort of helped but it's mainly been a once a week chance to offload in a way I wouldn't to friends or family. So far she's been a good listening ear and it's helped but hasn't really offered any insight (not sure what I was expecting). She tends to just tell me I'm amazing and very brave and doing well etc which I find a bit disingenuous.

I had counselling after my mum died, however it took me three attempts to fit the right therapist for me. The first 2, although very lovely, were not right for me in that we didn’t click together properly so I couldn’t unlock or verbalise my feelings properly in order to deal with what had happened. My db found his first counsellor very helpful, but has gone on to have further therapy with somebody else who he feels is getting deeper into his emotions which is good for him.

Sometimes it will take a few attempts to find the right person for you...

Really interesting to hear everyone's experiences, I've been considering counselling after a traumatic couple of years and am not sure how to go about finding one I click with. I don't actually know if I just want to offload and be listened to or if I need more practical push back.

I hope you get what you need from your sessions OP

I went to counselling a number of years ago when I was going through a bullying situation in work. It was a horrible situation as I was being made out to be doing/saying things that I hadn't and the bully was so convincing that people weren't sure whether or not to believe me.

Counselling really helped me because she believed what I was saying, and she also helped me to see that the issue was not with me but it was with the bully. I'd spent so long wondering what I had done to deserve being treated like that, but something just clicked at counselling and I realised it was nothing to do with me, the issues were all her's, and that really helped me to distance myself from the situation. So, it did really help me because it validated my feelings, and also gave me a new perspective on the situation which really helped me deal with it.