What different types of counselling are there?

A tumultuous few years have placed strains on people’s mental health like rarely before.

Despite increasing numbers of people seeking medical help for mental health concerns, it is estimated that 75% of those who do suffer from these conditions go untreated.

Help is out there for anyone suffering from poor mental health but awareness levels can be low among much of the public.

What can counselling help with?

Counselling and talking therapy can assist with a wide range of conditions. Often, discussing symptoms such as low mood, tiredness, heightened anxiety and more can lead experienced counsellors and their patients to the root causes of these issues.

Mental health conditions with which counselling can help include:

– Anxiety and personality disorders

– Depression

– Eating disorders

– Emotional issues

– Illness caused by stress

Counsellors can also provide services to those navigating difficult life events, such as bereavement, separation from a partner and job loss.

What are the different types of counselling?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to counselling. Indeed, those who receive treatment may be offered a combination of different therapies.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

This form of talking therapy aims to break down mental barriers that may be manifesting themselves in harmful ways. CBT typically focuses on your current situation, rather than trying to reframe past traumas.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy

CAT is counselling that attempts to work on your current relationship through the lens of previous experiences and events, typically from your childhood.

Psychodynamic Therapy

This form of treatment focuses on your subconscious mind and how it guides your behaviour. In many cases, a therapist will seek discussions about childhood experiences that may have since been forgotten.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)

The influence of others in your life could be the root cause of mental health struggles and this form of counselling seeks to determine which of these relationships is causing you harm.

Systemic Therapy

Often referred to as family therapy or couples’ therapy, this treatment seeks to uncover issues between close people that often go unsaid.

Finding the right counsellor for you

One of the biggest concerns when opting for a counsellor or therapist is your level of comfort with them on a personal level.

You must have an open mind to what the therapist is trying to achieve and a high level of trust that the sensitive information that you are sharing will remain between just the two of you.

There are also several factors at which you can look when comparing counsellors. Therapists that have the right level of insurance may offer you extra reassurance.

Please note, the general advice in this article is not designed to provide medical assistance. If you are suffering from symptoms of a mental health condition, please contact a doctor immediately.

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