[Closed] Counselling - how?

I can offer a bit of advice as my wife is a counselor. If you go to the BACP website they have a register of certified counselors in your local area. I would start there and then you can also have a look at a few of their websites to decide which one you would like to contact. Good luck.

I went to my GP and told him I needed to speak with a councilor. They set me up with one at the surgery straight away. Then take it from there.

Again Good Luck.

Have you got any form of private medical? If so they usually have an approved list of counsellors / therapists in the different specialisms as a starting point. If not and depending on what it's for perhaps try your GP to point you in the right direction, but be prepared to pay privately as there are long wait times for any form of nhs mental health support unless acute

Do your employer offer any assistance services through an occupational health scheme?
If you're a member of a Union they will often offer counselling for members.

I've gone down two routes in the past, once via employee assistance and once direct to a private counsellor. Both to sort out relationship issues.

The two routes apparently lead to the same pool of counsellors.

From my experience it's important to find the right person to talk to, don't settle for the first one if it doesn't feel right.

My partner and I didn't click with the first one. The second one was a huge help to both of us, and helped us resolve a massive amount, effectively saving our relationship. It was a fantastic and very valuable experience for us both.

Thanks guys!

I don't have any sort of work thing so it's either NHS or private - from what I can gather there are long waiting times for NHS and the services can be limited...again, this is just what I've understood from Google

I'm ok to pay private if it works.

I've just checked out that BACP website and using their register I've found a dozen or so in my local area. I honestly don't know which one to plumb for as their profiles all say similar things so I'm pretty much just going to pick one at random and contact them

I've just checked out that BACP website and using their register I've found a dozen or so in my local area. I honestly don't know which one to plumb for as their profiles all say similar things so I'm pretty much just going to pick one at random and contact them

Profiles on the BACP website are as you say usually quite similar, as it concentrates on qualifications. It should however also have links to websites if the counselor has one. This can maybe give you more of an idea about the person behind the qualifications and could help you decide which one to contact first.

Coaching might be another option. Plenty of excellent personal coaches out there. I've not done any for a while (trained with CTI) but I know many who still are.

GP they'll probably sort something quickly and can support mean time.

Depends whether you're talking professional counselling, like for a job, relationship counselling (in which case there are charities as well as 'professional' counsellors (although i think you still pay for Relate, etc. but more on an ability to pay basis) or mental health type.

If the latter, in my area there's a self-referral service, you don't even need to refer via a GP. It's online service (typed conversations, reasons why explained on their website) but might be a starting point?

www.iesohealth.com

there may be a charity in your area that provides subsidised/free counselling - for example the one near us is west london centre for counselling (so similar in your area?)

http://www.wlcc.org.uk/

GP they'll probably sort something quickly and can support mean time.

If only that were true.
If you go the NHS route you will be waiting a long time. I know this from personal experience.
If you can afford it, go private. If you don't feel the counselling is helping, get another therapist. I went through 8 before I found the one that helped me. I'm probably difficult. If you can get a recommendation from friends/family its always a bonus but if it doesn't feel right, change.
If you need one in North Wales I know a great Clinical Psychologist.

If you just need a chat, not bothered about face to face, there's the Samaritans. http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/what-happens-when-you-contact-us

Drop me a message will you and lets have a chat/I will nip round tonight at the end of my night ride as well.

If only that were true.
If you go the NHS route you will be waiting a long time.

As I said above, when I went to my GP they sorted me out almost immediately. Maybe it's different in different areas but mine were great.

I suppose breaking down in the doctors and banging on about not knowing how to carry on might have helped though!!

Sorry not meaning to trivialise but that was how mine experience panned out.

Have a look at mindfullness. If you can get on a mindfullness course in your area that might help you cope with stuff a bit better. It helped me.

If you go the NHS route you will be waiting a long time. I know this from personal experience.

Not necessarily the case. Certainly worth a try and your GP's perspective may be useful as well.

You can go NHS route without going via GP. Google IAPT - improving access to psychological therapies. Local NHS/LA run services to which you can self refer.

Looks like portal through NHS choices website. But when I considered using I googled IAPT and my city and it took me to self referral for local services

GP if you don't mind a wait, though surprisingly quick for me. Will also see if you need help for anxiety/depression as well.

I got help through the civil service work assistance and she was great. Your employer may have a similar scheme

Good luck, you are not alone.

Not necessarily the case. Certainly worth a try and your GP's perspective may be useful as well.

Exactly

There are different approaches and styles, it does depend on what your problems are amd in many respects the sort of person you are. Have a google of CBT - Cognative Behavioural Therapy and see if that seems right.

Good luck and hope it helps