Here’s some
Common Sense Reassurance for those taking the first step
towards making an appointment to see a Counsellor or
Psychotherapist:
·
That
insistent, tyrannical voice inside of you that says: “You
should be able to clean up this mess on your own…” is not your
friend.
·
Getting
professional help in the form of counselling or psychotherapy
is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. Why? Because the more you
know about your psychology and that of others, the more you
can influence it.
·
Reaching
out for help rather than being an admission of defeat is in
fact an act of faith and confidence that the future can be
better than the present.
·
Psychotherapy
works. It puts us
at the centre of a caring relationship that has one goal – the
betterment of our lives.
How can you beat that?
·
Scientific
studies into the effectiveness of psychotherapy have
consistently revealed that over 75 % of all clients experience
improvements in their lives that last beyond the first year
following the therapy.
More soothing facts
about counselling and
psychotherapy:
- The mere act
of sharing our pain with another human being can cause us to
feel noticeably
better
- Everything you share
with your therapist is held in strict confidence
- There is no
obligation to continue the work past the first
session
- It is unlikely
that your therapist will be shocked by what you share with
her
- You will not
be judged for what you
share
- The counsellor
will respond in ways that keep your dignity intact and
pledges never to erode
it.
Continuing with
therapy in the absence of crisis is a good preventive measure
for maintaining optimal mental health and to ensure that we
make good decisions in our
life.
What good things happen when we come for
therapy?
- We get to
speak openly about the things that are on our
mind
- In hearing
ourselves speak, we gain new insights into the situations we
initially found
confusing
- The therapist,
will reflect back what she has
heard
- Sometimes she
will reflect back aspects of your thought processes and
emotions that have remained
unconscious
- When we make
the unconscious conscious it loses the power to bedevil and
control us
- Oftentimes,
during psychotherapy we learn that our thoughts and
behaviours are entirely normal; when before we thought they
were somehow
weird
- Sometimes we get to see
how old survival strategies have outlived their usefulness
and in fact are now causing us
harm.
