FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is counselling?
What is the difference between counselling, therapy, and psychotherapy?
Why can't I just talk to my friends?
Are the sessions confidential?
How many sessions will I need?
Will the counsellor give me advice?
What if I don't like my counsellor, do I have to keep going?
Where can I get further information?

What is counselling?

Counselling is an established and recognised profession in which a trained counsellor seeks to help a client to understand and learn to deal with a wide variety of issues in their life. It is different from teaching, caring and advice-giving, and requires a particular kind of training.

Counsellors have a very diverse range of theoretical interpretations. Most qualified counsellors will have spent two years getting a Counselling Certificate before spending a further two years getting a counselling Diploma. All Counsellors and Psychotherapists are required to demonstrate evidence of ongoing continuing professional development in order to maintain their registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 'BACP'.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

In reality there is no clear dividing line between "counselling" and "psychotherapy" and there is considerable overlap between the two. The issue for most clients is not "What do you call it?" but "Is it working for me?"

Psychiatrists are qualified doctors, specialising in diagnosing and treating mental illness. They can prescribe psychiatric medication.

Psychologists study behaviour and mental processes. You may find them working in research, in business or in education. They also carry out and interpret psychological tests and assessments. (An example of this might be in recruitment.)

Clinical psychologists have further specialist training to qualify in 'talking' therapies. They are not doctors and do not prescribe drugs. A chartered psychologist is a professional recognition for psychologists and reflects the highest standards of psychological knowledge and expertise. It is a mark of experience, competence and reputation.

Counsellors, psychotherapeutic counsellors and psychotherapists will have training in both the theory and practice of how to work with a variety of people with a wide range of emotional distress and whose lives may be affected by external factors (job loss and bereavement for example) and internal issues (such as low self-esteem and anxiety).

Why can't I just talk to my friends?

Many of the reasons that make counselling effective also apply to talking with friends. Therefore a talk with a friend may well be helpful and counsellors often encourage clients to use their social support network. However there are some drawback to using friends as your only confidants and support.

Friends might feel a conflict of loyalty and find it hard to keep things confidential
Friends might become upset themselves by what you are telling them
Friends might be put out if you don't accept their advice
If you need lots of help friends might begin to feel resentful and you might feel guilty

Counsellors have had training and have formal support and a work structure which helps them to deal with upsetting and difficult situations; friends may begin to feel overburdened, especially if they have their own problems. Finally, sometimes we need slightly more specialist help than friends can provide.

Are the sessions confidential?

The contents of the sessions are confidential between you and your counsellor.

There may be times when it is necessary to discuss our work with a supervisor or the FOURPOINT counselling service team which is in accordance with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists 'Ethical Framework for Good Practice'.
No identifiable information will be disclosed apart from your first name.

Respecting your confidentiality is of the upmost importance to us; however, if it is assessed that you are at risk of harming yourself, others or there are any child protection issues, we may find it necessary to seek help outside the counselling relationship.

Any breach of confidentiality will be discussed with you first.

In the case of a disclosure of a criminal nature there would be a requirement to report this to the relevant authorities as we would be liable to civil or court procedures if information was not disclosed.

How many sessions will I need?

Some people come for a few sessions, some for much longer. Initially we encourage clients to think in terms of committing to six sessions because it often takes that long to understand the problem, build a therapeutic relationship, and to achieve any change. You will have a sense of whether or not what you want to talk about can be helped in the short or longer term.

At FOURPOINT we will not encourage you to stay longer than we feel is necessary, and you are free to stop the process at any time. We are committed to having regular reviews with clients to check that the process is working for you and to discuss with you what (if anything) still needs to be done.

We also find that some people occasionally want to come back for a short period of time after a break. For example you may spend 18 sessions doing some really important work, but then find that two years on, you want to come back for one or two more, to reinforce that change and adapt it to new circumstances. We are happy to offer that facility.

Will the counsellor give me advice?

Counsellors don't ever give advice since the purpose of counselling is to help you make your own decision. They will never make a moral decision about the course of action you ought to take. They may sum up what they understand you have been saying so far in order to help you move on and form a plan of action. They can offer pointers to how others have successfully dealt with common problems and may also make suggestions of the "have you thought of the following" variety.

These suggestions will be drawn from their training in what is helpful and their experience of what has helped others and of course can be rejected if you feel they are unhelpful.

What if I don't like my counsellor, do I have to keep going?

The relationship between counsellor and client is a very important part of counselling and is often referred to as the 'therapeutic relationship'. You do not have to keep going but rather than just disappear, tell your counsellor what you are feeling as that might be a really helpful thing for you to discuss.

Perhaps they remind you of someone? If you talk about it you will be able to understand why you don't like them. It may simply be that they are not the right counsellor for you. If you discuss it they may be able to refer you to someone you feel more comfortable with.

Where can I get further information?

You can consult the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy website www.bacp.co.uk for a detailed document on counselling ethics.