Counselling .... Me?

Although exact figures are hard to come by, statistical surveys suggest that as many as one in four of us in Britain suffer mental distress at some time in our lives. This is reflected in the increasing numbers who turn to counselling for help. But for the majority of people considering this approach there is the added concern of not knowing what they might be letting themselves in for. How does this form of therapy work, and why? How do they choose a counsellor? What qualifications should the therapist have? What happens in a counselling session? How long does it take? What sort of results can they expect? When does it end? Without knowing the answers to questions like these, going for counselling is a something of a leap into the unknown; not an ideal situation for someone who may already be under considerable stress. As a consequence, many who could benefit from counselling may hold back and so delay dealing with their difficulties.

Jonathan Ingrams came to counselling following twenty-five years of making medical educational programmes for doctors and general audiences in the United States and Europe. Over the past fourteen years he has practised as a psychotherapist with a broad spectrum of clients from the "worried well" to those suffering a range of mental illnesses of varying severity. His work has included counselling for Young Offenders and taking referrals from GPs, insurance companies, and Employee Assistance Programmes.

INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER ONE How do I know if I might benefit from counselling? CHAPTER TWO Do many people seek counselling? CHAPTER THREE Why not just talk to a friend? CHAPTER FOUR What does counselling set out to do? CHAPTER FIVE Does counselling work? CHAPTER SIX How secure is counselling? CHAPTER SEVEN How much does it cost? CHAPTER EIGHT How long does it take? CHAPTER NINE Where do I find a counsellor? CHAPTER TEN How do I know who might be right for me? CHAPTER ELEVEN What qualifications should a counsellor have? CHAPTER TWELVE Do all counsellors work the same way? CHAPTER THIRTEEN What should I expect from a counsellor? CHAPTER FOURTEEN What happens in a counselling session? CHAPTER FIFTEEN What should I contribute to the process? CHAPTER SIXTEEN What might block my progress? CHAPTER SEVENTEEN How do I manage the effects of change? CHAPTER EIGHTEEN What about online counselling? CHAPTER NINETEEN What long-term results can I expect? CHAPTER TWENTY How does counselling end?