Being a counsellor is easy money isn't it?

[Happyfriday]

What do they actually do for their £40-50 an hour?

I have had three short blocks of counselling in recent years. The first one looked shocked, the second one agreed with everything I said and the third one wanted to laugh everything off and then apologised for it.

How do you know what you need? I'm not sure if I should be looking for a certain type of counselling or give it more time.

When people say they are in therapy what do they mean?

whysoangry

Thanks for that distinction between counselling & therapy. I certainly don't know what the difference is!

As I said up thread I'm seeing someone via NHS I assume is a psychology graduate who is doing her doctorate in clinical psychology. What Does that make her?

I'm not really feeling like it is a safe space to talk about some things. I said I'd had 'bad experiences' in the past. But when she asked me to elaborate I just couldn't. She asked again, there was awkward silence then she moved on.

I feel like some of the things I say like me not believing the 'good intentions' of certain types of people, she just minimises & denies.

I feel like she wants me to deny my 'bad experiences' and just 'think positively' ie cbt.

I don't know if my expectations are wrong or it's just not a suitable form of counselling/therapy for me?

I do want to stick at it as the issues I have have a significant negative impact on my health and well being day to day and long term.

There are counsellors that act in an "interventionist" way and psychotherapists that absolutely don't.

You're absolutely right, HeadDoctor. A small minority of counsellors take a more interventionist approach while a few therapists don't. That's what makes it difficult for the 'woman in the street' to make an informed choice.

Happyfriday: it's not just a matter of leaving with food for thought. I use a lot of NLP and can, for example, cure most phobias in one session and bring an end to panic attacks/unwanted habits in a couple of sessions.

CBT can help with problems of that kind but it generally takes longer. Counselling rarely, if ever, resolves deep-seated issues that involve feelings, habits and behaviours operating at the unconscious level.

Athenaviolet: many clinical psychologists operate effectively as therapists, helping people make positive changes in their life and eliminate psychological issues. Typical they deal with the 'unhappy well' - as opposed to psychiatrists, who have to be medically trained and who deal with serious mental health issues such as Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.

One problem we have is that anyone can call themselves a 'counsellor', 'therapist' or 'hypnotherapist'. You don't need any qualifications or training - it's totally unregulated.

To call yourself a Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist you need to have received certified training and be a member of a professional body.

It's amazing then that anyone manages to stumble upon an effective counsellor or therapist that suits them and their needs.

Can someone link to the thread on AIBU? I can't find it.

It is a bit! When you ring them for the appointment it's worth asking them a few questions such as their training, whether they are BACP accredited, do they have any medical training, what sort of approach do they take and whether they are interventionist or not.

Go by the vibes in that first call; if you think they don't have what you are looking for or simply don't click then it's easy to say okay, I'll consider things and get back to you.

A good therapist can take time to show results but (if therapy is for you at all) can be truly life-changing. There will be times when you think you are achieving nothing and then suddenly you'll get a breakthrough. Don't be afraid to ask how it's going, because equally you might be achieving nothing at all! (very tricky to distinguish, sometimes, unless a breakthrough is round the corner but I'd personally say that if you aren't seeing any results in your life after a 8 - 12months then it's not achieving anything).

Also sometimes a good therapist can make you very angry by pushing hard on something; that actually can be very valuable if you can work out why you're angry. Sometimes things hit raw spots and your anger can be way out of proportion to what the therapist actually said; that's when you know you've hit gold in the life-frustrations that led you there in the first place.

Dealing with matters of the mind and psyche is complicated because any one thing can have several explanations sometimes, and things often aren't quite what they seem! (not sure I'm helping here but hey)

Tricky to link on my phone but the aibu is about giving gifts to counsellors

WhySoAngry - what is a person centred practitioner then? Are they all counsellors, in your opinion?

I'm inclined to agree with you OP, but maybe certain types of person just do not get on with counselling?

I'm inclined to think counselling is an under regulated pseudo science that is full of poorly qualified money grabbers; many of whom are in the business for their own emotional gratification. In my experience the whole process consists of them 'listening' and then parroting back what you have said with an added "hmmm" to punctuate the point.

I accept there is evidence that certain kinds of therapy can help some people with some problems, like CBT for specific phobias (although CBT is generally over hyped IMO, "get some CBT" has become the stock phrase to anyone in distress). I also think psychotherapy with a properly qualified clinical psychologist can help some people deal with deep rooted issues.

But 'counselling' is simply to generic a term. The level of qualification, experience and regulation just varies too wildly.

I've had Holistic Hypnotherapy which is amazing.
You don't discuss your problems, but you are talked into a semi-hypnotic state and then you physically release the stress. You can actually feel it in your body and then feel the release.

The therapist records the session, gives you a copy and you go home and repeat it many, many times.
It is quite time consuming. You need a spare quiet 45 minutes several times pw.

All that for 60.

There is some misinformation on this thread about all kinds of therapy and words that are used to describe it. It's simply not the case that most counsellors listen and therapists are more active. It's very hard to define terms that help people to find someone. However, do read what a person has written about themselves and how they work, and please do meet with them and ask them how they work, what their training is, what their style is and what you can expect from them. This is the very best way to find someone who is a good fit for you. It's fine to ask about the therapist/counsellor's training and experience. A first session should be a meeting for both parties to find out about the other, and see what it might feel like to work together. You (hopefully) wouldn't go on a date and set up home with the first person who came along. You should meet a therapist with an open mind and see how you feel about the potential to work together.

There are some psychotherapy trainings that are funded by the nhs- in the same way that doctor trainings are nhs funded: people are paid to work while training. These tend to be the most rigouros and take the longest time to train- usually 6 year minimum. It might be worth looking into these? Personally, I would always want someone with the kind of training- doesn't mean everyone who has done them is perfect- but it gives at least some credibility to their training.

Anyone who can listen and deal with my self indulgent wittering and fairly grim stories deserves more than the £50ph I pay now.

I have had one therapist that certainly saved my life and definitely helped me change my thinking dramatically.

I had one that was ok but I didn't click with.

I'm now seeing a specialist in stillbirth, neonatal death and infertility. She is amazing. I would be in a much, much darker place without her help.

Anyone who can listen to the heartbreak of women and couples who have suffered the death of a baby (or babies) and still have the mental and emotional strength to help them is amazing in my mind.

Let me say before responding to various comments on here that I am not against counselling. It can be highly effective when it's what the 'client' needs and when the counsellor is empathic and insightful.

eyebags63: I'm inclined to think counselling is an under regulated pseudo science that is full of poorly qualified money grabbers; many of whom are in the business for their own emotional gratification

What I agree with: yes, it's under-regulated; yes, it's a pseudo science. No, it's not full of poorly qualified money grabbers. Some are poorly qualified, but the same is true of therapists. Some are money grabbers (the same is true of therapists) but in my experience most counsellors are sincere, caring individuals who genuinely want to help people in distress. Yes, some counsellors and therapists are 'in the business for their own emotional gratification', but I don't think it's the majority.

HeadDoctor you ask what is a person centred practitioner then? Are they all counsellors, in your opinion? No, they're not all counsellors, but many are. The person-centred approach, as I'm sure you know, comes from the work of Carl Rogers, whose methodology is generally taught as part of counselling courses. I would like to hope that anyone in the helping professions takes a person-centred approach, whatever they call themself. I certainly do.

kittybiscuits I absolutely agree with you. The first session should be a chemistry meeting, where the two parties decide whether they can work effectively together. I check in with new clients after 20 minutes and if they don't feel the chemistry is right we end the session with no cost to them. I sometimes come to the view that I am not the right person to help them and say I would prefer to refer them to someone else.

Happyfriday: if you aren't seeing any results in your life after a 8 - 12months then it's not achieving anything

OMG! Life's too short for all that. You should expect to be seeing progress after one session, two at the most. 8-12 months is crazy! Look for someone who offers Brief Therapy or Solution-focused Therapy. The aim is to resolve the issue as quickly as possible - not spin it out for months on end.

God that's a relief. There is no way I would commit to 8-12 months of counselling, certainly not based on my experience.

I will consider solution-focused therapy as you suggest whysoangry as that sounds more like what I am looking for.

Not as easy money as some may think. Its emotionally draining.

Why

Your posts really resonate with me, I have tried counseling but found it too lacking in direction for me

How would I be able to find a therapist?

Varya It's certainly emotionally draining if you're doing it right - and you need to have a mechanism for discharging the emotion at the end of a session and renewing your energy - especially if you're seeing other clients the same day.

But IMHO it is relatively easy money, certainly compared to some of the other jobs I've had. People come to me (I work from home) and all I have to do is listen, talk and use my knowledge and skills to help them make the changes they want.

It's also, of course, immensely satisfying and fulfilling.

Christinayanglah drawing up a shortlist of therapists should be relatively easy using Google.

Type in your home city/town and 'NLP therapist', 'CBT therapist', 'hypnotherapist' or 'psychotherapist'. That should give you a number to choose from, depending on where you live.

Take a look at the websites to get a sense of what they do. Some will specialise in different areas. Some are generalists. Then give them a call and discuss your issue. Ask them about their experience in dealing with it. Check their fees. Ask about their training/qualifications.

Then ask yourself, did I take to this person. It's critically important you are able to trust them.

Another option is to use the website of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) which has a searchable database at

www.itsgoodtotalk.org.uk/therapists

Bear in mind that not all therapists are members of the BACP - some are members of specific associations and there are several organisations representing hypnotherapists, with no unified, umbrella body.

That's really helpful, thank you

Mmmm, interesting conversations going on here. I've just finished a pre degree counselling course, hoping to do a foundation degree which will qualify me as a counsellor. First year will be classroom based, second year the placement starts (so you're working with clients for free), you have to sort out your own placement, for every 4-6 hours, you are required to see a supervisor at a cost of 35stg per hour, I think it's 150 hours of placement. You also have to complete 20 hours of personal therapy at a cost of 40-50 per hour. Add on to that tuition fees, travel costs, etc etc, student membership of bacp. After the degree you then have to rack up a further 300 hours of counselling before you can be a fully accredited counsellor.

I do some voluntary work and I can honestly say at the end of that day (one day a week) I am emotionally drained, it really is very exhausting as you're giving your all emotionally.

I've been checking out jobs for when we qualify and the majority of them are for 40 hrs a week, 20 of which are voluntary, 20 of which are paid. Cpd courses, insurance, supervision, all need to be paid for and if you set up on your own, obviously rent, etc as well. So when you say counsellors are earning 40-50 per hour, please take all of this into account. I wonder would you be questioning paying a medical consultant the same hourly fee? Are there any other jobs where you work half the hours for free?

Counselling is still a 'new' profession, trying to get established so there are plenty of people who have done a couple of part time courses in counselling studies and set themselves up as a counsellor. Now that the profession is starting to get regulated, it's clear just how much commitment has to go into becoming a counsellor.

I would suggest that you find yourself a bacp registered counsellor for a start and possibly explore different types of counselling - maybe cognitive behavioural therapy might suit you better?

Hopefully you will find the right therapy for you, good luck.

its not true about the NHS funded courses being 6 years. Many NHS therapists are acutely PWP's, and only have a years training in very basic, entry level CBT. Even a clinical psychologist training is only 3 years. Plus, psychologists are not required to have ANY personal therapy at all, which I think is just ridiculous.

Most 'counsellors' would absolutely use interventions unless they were strictly Rogerian (person-centred). And as many training courses are Integrative these days (including mine) I would imagine they are the minority.

I'm one of the only therapists in my NHS service to have a masters. And I funded it myself. The only NHS funded courses are IAPT PWP/HI CBT courses, and clinical psychology doctorates.

Psychotherapy trainings which are nhs funded do take that long. They are psychoanalytic and everybody has to have their own analysis as part of the training.

clinical psychologists have 3 year nhs funded training but have to have a degree in psychology and competitive experience in order to be able to train. They are also not psychotherapists unless they do additional training.