NHS counselling - to ask your experiences?

[RadgeSpottingChooseFife]

Approached my GP last year about counselling and was advised to self-refer online. In the 8 months since I’ve been contacted periodically to complete a questionnaire detailing how I’ve felt in the preceding 2 weeks. When I’ve asked it’s been confirmed that these are gateway assessments, meaning that if I haven’t been deemed to be sufficiently distressed in the prior fortnight, at that stage I will be discharged from the service. This has been at approx 2 month intervals.

One of the interviews, the lady was very probing about past experiences - a simple factual answer wasn’t sufficient, she wanted me to explain what was upsetting, how x made you feel, describe the feeling in more detail. She told me that if I demonstrated how distressed I was she could help me get an appointment. I began the conversation feeling perfectly fine and ended it feeling quite thrown and worn out actually.

Finally getting an initial appointment last week, there was no actual ‘counselling’ involved - just a blunt list of questions.

I was given the opportunity to leave feedback on the sheet provided but it was confirmed this would reflect on the counsellor, so I looked on the website for information about giving feedback (I appreciate it's a free service, but found the approach unhelpful). On the website there is a report stating that all the complaints against them upheld last year were made by people with personality disorders.

I decided this week to seek private counselling instead - I feel extremely fortunate to (just about) have that option.

Now I’m curious - what have others’ experiences of talking therapies via the NHS been? I had private counselling previously and found it really helpful, this has been a really stark contrast. Not so much the waiting (i get there are waiting lists and funding issues) so much as the entire approach towards people.

Would be really interested to hear others’ experiences.

DD has had counselling, her counsellor does NHS although DD has her through Bupa. Very positive experience, not sure whether that was because she got a good one or because she was private. The first session was lots of questions apparently so the counsellor could gauge the problem and apply the appropriate support in the following sessions.

My husband spoke openly to his NHS IAPT counsellor about a suicidal attempt he had made fifteen years ago. It was recorded on his medical history and then used against him when he tried to get life insurance as said life insurance asked for a copy of his medical history / record. I am gutted about this as at the time he had the counselling he had depression but was nowhere near suicidal. I also told him to talk openly or it wouldn’t work.

As you can probably tell I’m still a bit miffed about it.

If he ever has counselling again we will go private

Wow @confusedandtired99 that’s horrendous. I don’t blame you for being miffed. I would be furious. Yes, I was asked the same questions of course and told the same thing, that it’s all entirely confidential unless I’m at risk of harm.

The report on the website stating that all the complainers had personality disorders really put me off! There was no elaboration on how that was relevant to the upheld complaints. It just sounded like privileged information being used to discredit people.

My experience was the other way round. I was having treatment at a rather well known private psychiatric hospital , my treatment was good, but when I came out and went back for counselling, I found it really unsettling, so they changed me to another counsellor and it was worse. In the meantime my gp sent me the option for iapt, I wasnt going to go, but I was desperate....well, all I can say is, she turned my life around, with coping strategies , mindfulness sessions and basically a kind caring attitude.
I believe a lot is to do with the rapport you have with your counsellor, obviously how good they are too.
Dont just think because they are private they will be better.

Hi @Rubyupbeat glad to hear you had a positive experience. That's great that the counselor you saw had such a positive impact. I agree that the rapport with the individual counselor makes a huge difference.