About Counselling & CBT
About counselling and how it can help
Counselling is the process by which a trained and suitably qualified Counsellor
helps their client to communicate about issues of concern to the client with the
aim of facilitating deeper self-awareness and insight.
Clients can expect to be given the time and space they require to talk and disclose
at their own pace. The counsellor will provide a safe, non-judgemental and
confidential environment for this work to take place. The counsellor will
endeavour to convey acceptance and empathic understanding, enabling the client
to feel heard and their feelings validated. The difficulties being experienced by
the client may be confined to a limited area of their life, such as work-related
issues, or may be filtering into many aspects of their experience including how
they have begun to feel about themself. During the early stages of counselling the
counsellor will help the client formulate what they want to achieve from the
counselling process.
The BCS counsellor may help the client to explore different approaches or
perspectives which could be of value to the client when considering embarking on
a process of development or change. However, she will not make decisions on
behalf of a client or recommend a particular course of action. The counselling
support provided will be impartial with the aim of helping to empower the client.
About CBT and how it can help
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a particular type of talking therapy that is
recognised as being especially effective in helping people who have issues with a
clear behavioural component, ie eating disorders, anxiety and depression.
A CBT therapist supports a client by: a) helping the client identify links between
their thoughts, feelings and behaviour and b) collaborating with the client to plan
a process of behavioural change and thought rebalancing. This process of change
has an experimental focus, supporting the client to try out potentially more
rewarding and adaptable views and behaviours.
In CBT the therapist and client agree between-session tasks which the client is
responsible for putting into action.
