What is counselling?
Broadly speaking, counselling is the process of working through painful thoughts and
feelings and/or working towards your goals with the support of a professionally trained
therapist.There are many different types of therapeutic modalities or approaches
ranging from cognitive, emotion focused, body focused, art based, expressive,
integrative, holistic and so on. Sessions may incorporate one or more modalities based
on your therapist’s training and style.
How does counselling work?
It works by helping you to:
a. go deeper and understand your thoughts, emotions and experiences better in the context of a positive and safe working relationship with your therapist
b. reexamine your thoughts and perceptions so they are more rational rather than emotionally triggered or biased in various ways
c. processand let go of past hurts, d. learn the skills you need to cope with situations in a healthy way and live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
a. go deeper and understand your thoughts, emotions and experiences better in the context of a positive and safe working relationship with your therapist
b. reexamine your thoughts and perceptions so they are more rational rather than emotionally triggered or biased in various ways
c. processand let go of past hurts, d. learn the skills you need to cope with situations in a healthy way and live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
How is it different than talking to my friends or family?
While friends and family are essential support systems, your therapist undergoes years
of specialized training to learn the knowledge and skills needed to help you effectively in
an objective, non-judgmental, empathic and attuned manner. She will be able to help
you with powerful tools and techniques along with guiding you through
transformational healing processes. The sessions are grounded in research and evidence
based approaches and informed by a thorough understanding of the human psyche, not
as restricted by the limitations of an individual’s personal mindset or agenda.
How do I know if I need help/counselling?
- If you are going through a difficult time and it is negatively impacting how you are feeling and functioning at personal, professional or social fronts, it may be a good idea to receive some counselling support.
- If you are having any thoughts of hurting yourself in any way, please seek help immediately.
- If you are feeling overwhelmed, experiencing negative thoughts and emotions, going through painful experiences or are having difficulty coping with any area of your life – please consider counselling support.
- If you wish to feel happier, calmer, stronger, cope better with stress, be more confident, positive, resilient, focused, be better at decision making, handle your relationships better, communicate more effectively or be a better version of yourself –counseling can help.
- Contact us to have a chat and understand if counselling would be helpful for you at this time.
How long is a session with a therapist?
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What does it mean if I seek counselling? Is something wrong with me?
It means you value your mental and emotional health and are willing to take the necessary steps to live a healthier and happier life.
What will happen in the session?
Sessions will be customized and evolve based on your unique personality, situation and needs. The initial sessions will focus on understanding you, your history and your current situation and carving out a therapeutic plan which will then be followed by systematically working through the areas of concern till the goals set for therapy are achieved. Sessions will generally involve a mix of
- insight oriented conversations,
- holistic methods and therapeutic techniques toprocess and release negative thoughts, feelings and experiences and amplify your natural strengths
- action plans to help integrate and apply the learnings from therapy in real life for long lasting change.
A typical session is about 50 minutes but it can vary if needed.
How many sessions will I need / how long will it take?
It is not possible to determine this in advance as the duration of therapy is dependent
on the number and complexity of the issues involved in combination with the readiness,
receptivity and personality of the client among other things. Many factors contribute in
determining how quick and easy or long and challenging therapy will be. Often, the
length of therapy can be proportional to how entrenched the issues are and the client’s
style and level of coping. Therapy can range from a few sessions to some months or
years. Regular reviews of the process enable the client and the therapist to have open
discussions and determine if therapy is meeting client’s needs – recalibrating the
number and direction of remaining sessions as needed. Therapy ends when the client and therapist mutually agree that the therapeutic goals have been adequately met and
the client feels empowered to continue on their own.
Can my therapist fix my problems for me? Will I get dependent on therapy?
No. The therapist cannot control you, act on your behalf or weave magic in your life. You
are the only one who has the power and responsibility to improve your life, but you do
have her help. Therapy can only be effective to the extent the client is willing to apply
the learnings and changes. The primary role of your therapist is to support and
empower you in connecting with the internal resources and developing the skills you
need to be able to handle the difficulties of life in a healthier way – on your own. The
answers and solutions lie within you – the therapist will seek to help you find them –
guiding you to the Lodestar Within.
Is this confidential ?
Yes. The essence of this work is based in trust, transparency and confidentiality.
Whatever information you choose to share with your therapist will remain confidential
and not be shared with anyone else without your explicit permission, except in
situations where you or another person may be at risk of harm or in cases of criminal activity, as per the laws of the country.