How Counselling Can Help
Frequently asked questions about counselling at Wessex.
You may wish to embark on a series of counselling sessions for a number of reasons: to gain clarity on an issue, change old patterns of behaviour, untangle complex personal issues or for self-development. You may seek counselling as a result of a crisis, or may be encouraged to seek counselling by family members, friends or colleagues.
The counselling session is your time to use to discuss the things that are important to you and will vary according to your goals and needs. Your counsellor will offer a safe place to explore your feelings, anxieties and hopes and will work with you to develop your understanding, coping strategies and ways to manage difficult areas of your life.
Many people can benefit from counselling. Currently our counsellors work with individuals only. We work across different cultures, religion, sexuality and disability and are committed to working with difference and diversity. Our Frome premises are fully accessible for people with limited mobility.
Counselling or psychotherapy is a two way relationship between you and your therapist. Your therapist will respect your autonomy at all times and will not in any way seek to unduly influence any decisions that you might be thinking of taking. As with all counselling agencies we make clear to you, at the outset, what our understanding of confidentiality means and its limits under the law.
The number of counselling sessions depends on you as an individual and your unique presenting issues. A first consultation will enable you and WCP to see if psychodynamic counselling would be helpful. You can discuss with your counsellor how long you might expect to come in the light of the issues that you need help with.
Counselling sessions are confidential. However, to ensure best practice all WCP counsellors/psychotherapists are in regular supervision — the supervisor is also bound by rules of confidentiality. There are exceptions when legally we may need to disclose something you have told us about. This will be discussed with you before you start your counselling.
The counselling relationship is a professional relationship. The counsellor has undergone four or more years of professional training. At times it won't feel like a professional relationship at all — your counsellor can feel like a friend, a parent, even an enemy. These feelings are very important because they often help you and your counsellor get under the surface of what we show the world. The counsellor is trained to engage with these feelings with care and integrity.
Missed sessions or cancellations are charged for because your regular appointment time is reserved for you and no-one else. Your therapist will give you notice of when they will be away and you are not charged for these times. The cancellation policy applies to your holidays and any work commitment or illness.
CBT aims to change the way you think and behave. It is highly structured, uses self-help books or computer programmes, and is usually available for a brief period. Psychodynamic Counselling helps you build resources within yourself to cope with difficulties and lets you know you are unique but not alone. You gradually gain insight and understand yourself — discovering how patterns of thinking developed in the first place so you have more choices about how you live your life now.