They won't tell you whether to divorce or resign. ? The real job of psychological counseling is to make you know yourself better, change your way of thinking and behavior, or change the way you understand the world. Smith said: Psychological counseling is not a good suggestion. ?
Of course, counselors may tell you strategies to deal with mental illness (such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder), but when it comes to your personal life decisions, they are more like facilitators.
? Are you sure you're here to consult and give the decision to someone else? Or do you want to learn how to have this power? Howes said.
2. They may also have their own psychological counselors.
? I will never trust a counselor who has not received treatment. Howes said.
According to these experts, most psychological practitioners have their own psychological counselors? Maybe not all, but at least at some point in your career. Smith said that most psychology graduate programs even require applicants to have received treatment.
Most psychotherapists won't prescribe medicine for you.
Is this usually the job of a psychiatrist or family doctor? Bufka said that this is not the job of counselors or social workers. But if you are interested in this aspect, your therapist can work with other professionals to help you start or stop medication.
You don't have to be diagnosed with mental illness to seek treatment.
The common misunderstanding is:? Do you have to? Crazy? To get treatment. ? Howes said. ? People go to psychological counseling for many reasons, which have little to do with mental illness.
Even if you really seek treatment for mental disorder, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Just as you would ask for help for any other physical condition, you are asking for help from an expert.
This is usually in the middle? When you are struggling but not completely exhausted, people hesitate to consult because they don't think they need it yet.
? But if you feel trapped or overwhelmed by emotions, or if you can't live a normal life as you wish, is this a signal? You really need to talk to someone. ? Bufka said.
Your counselor won't talk about you with his friends in private.
? The first principle is confidentiality. Howes said. ? If I talk about my case with friends or family, I will soon be disqualified. ? However, they may discuss some cases or expand topics in a group composed of trusted colleagues.
? We may discuss some difficult cases in groups every week or month, and then get feedback from our peers. Smith said.
? Although we will discuss cases, all the cases involved will hide identity information. (Translator: For example, if you use an alias, you will change some information, which will identify who this case belongs to. )
6. Your consultant may not Google you.
? To some extent, using Google to search for visitors without their consent is tantamount to crossing the border and violating the confidentiality provisions. ? Smith said.
In fact, they prefer to talk about what you want to talk about instead of forcing you to explain the photos you posted on Facebook at the weekend. ? I won't Google my visitors, because my philosophy is: I hope everything will only happen in the consulting room. ? Howes said.
7. Unless you take the initiative, your counselor probably won't greet you in public.
Don't worry about running into him in the restaurant, hear? Hey, it's good to see you outside the clinic! ? And then it happened that you were dating.
Generally speaking, unless you take the initiative, the counselor will not recognize you in public. Even so, they won't call themselves your therapists unless you say so, Bufka said.
So you can say hello at will, call them your counselor/yoga teacher/neighbor, or just ignore them. It's up to you. If you are worried, you can talk to them about it in advance.
8. Just going to psychological counseling may not help? You have to get involved.
Psychological counseling is not like going to the hospital to see sinusitis and then prescribing antibiotics. Need cooperation? It will not wait passively for the result.
? Visitors were disappointed when they learned the working principle of psychological counseling. Howes said. ? They want the counselor to ask them more than a dozen questions, just like treasure hunting. ?
However, if visitors are ready and willing to tell the reasons why they come to consult and the problems they want to solve, the whole process will become more effective and collaborative.
9. Psychological counseling does not necessarily require long-term investment.
? I think sometimes people hesitate to start counseling because they think. If I go, will it involve 10 years, and keep the frequency of consultation three times a week? I feel that this is a major decision. ? Smith said.
But the length and frequency of psychological counseling are very personal. It can be a one-time consultation, a few months consultation or a longer consultation, depending on what you are going through and what you want to achieve.
Bufka said that it is very reasonable to ask a consultant for advice during the first or second consultation. For example, what is psychological counseling like? How long are we going to work together? How do I know when to end the consultation?
10, when looking for a counselor, is it appropriate? Matching degree? Is the most important factor.
? You can find the best and most qualified psychological counselor in the world, but if you are not a good match, then counseling will not be so effective. Smith said. ? The research tells us that among all the consulting difference variables (including consulting type, consultant's educational experience, consulting time, etc. ), the matching degree is one of the most important factors for successful consultation. ?
What is the matching degree? It is feeling listened to, understood and respected. ? The experience of counseling is not always interesting and enjoyable. Bufka said. ? But in that environment, you should feel safe, accepted, listened to and occasionally challenged. ?
1 1. Stopping consulting doesn't mean you can't go back to consulting in the future.
? As a psychological counselor, I hope that at the end of the consultation, visitors can feel that their self-function has been improved, whether in relationships, at work or at study. Bufka said. ? They can feel that they are striving for their own value, not suffering from loss. ?
Of course, life goes on and changes follow. Doesn't mean you didn't need help after you felt better a few years ago. ? Just as you still need to go to the hospital clinic, this does not mean that you no longer need a supportive consultation. ? Bufka said.
12, it may be inappropriate to worry about something? Like hugging a counselor or asking about a counselor's private life? Then talk to the counselor about this.
Not every counselor welcomes hugging visitors, but if you really want to do so, don't be shy to ask.
? Visitors can say anything or ask any questions at will. Howes said. ? If this is your idea, then ask and let the counselor decide whether to answer you or not. Try not to filter and censor yourself. ?
13, they don't have all the answers.
? Sometimes people think that consultants have a special ability to see their inner world, but in fact we don't have that ability. Bufka said. ?
We train and understand what human beings are, how human behaviors and emotions work, and we can use these to understand someone in a specific situation. We didn't read your magical skills in an instant? Negotiations need to be gradual.
14. Being a psychological counselor is not easy at all.
How many visitors are there a day? Did you see the confession? Helping them recover from specific traumatic events is a very frustrating job.
? Obviously, it is extremely difficult to listen to those stories hour after hour and day after day in trouble, and then save energy to respond to family members at night. Smith said. ? This is a challenge, but it is certainly within the controllable range. ?
? We are the secret guardians of this profession. Howes said. ? And before long, there will be some negative effects brought by work. At this time, it is very important that we need someone we can trust to talk to. ?
15, but maybe the consultant also thinks his work is very rewarding and valuable.
? When counseling works, you leave counseling with a new understanding and a new way to deal with problems, which truly belongs to you and will continue to play a role in the rest of your life. ?
? I just like people. Smith said. ? I like meeting people, that's all. I think there are endless interesting places in people. ?
? Whenever I find that the growth of visitors has really happened, I am very happy. Howes said. ? I found myself laughing a little more than I thought before.