|
MindFields College (Human Givens Therapy) British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Counselling Code of Conduct (CCC) |
|
Contact any of organisations or therapists on the link pages. Look in your local directories under "counselling and advice". Ask your family doctor about NHS counselling. Ask your employer (Employee Assistance Scheme). Ask people who you know have been for counselling. Contact me, or the three professional organisations in the box below. |
|
How to find an accredited/registered counsellor or therapist |
|
Are you registered/accredited? If so, by which organisation? Have you completed your training as a (couple) counsellor/therapist? When and how did you gain your qualifications? How long have you been practicing as a (couple) counsellor? How flexible are you with appointments? How long do the sessions last and do you start and finish on time? What will be the frequency of the sessions? How long is it likely to take? How much does it costs? Will the major focus be on my past or on resolving present difficulties? Are you able to treat other conditions? (if appropriate) Do you adhere to a recognised code of conduct? What theory do you use? Can you explain that? (see margin) |
|
Questions to help you to choose a counsellor |
|
Elly Prior HG Dip P, Cert CC Relate, MHGI HGI Accredited Therapist and BACP Registered Counsellor Human Givens Therapist Further information Gillingham, Kent, UK Tel.: 01634 856176 Email |

|
Choosing a qualified counsellor Finding an effective registered or accredited therapist |

|
If you are able to distinguish between different theories in counselling / psychotherapy (a minefield!), then do ask the person you contact how exactly he/she works. Bear in mind that research has shown that most experienced counsellors use skills/knowledge from different approaches. It seems that they naturally work more in line with the human givens. It is also very useful if your counsellor has some idea on how the brain actually works! |
|
Trust that you know who is right for you, bearing in mind your general tendency to seek out helpful or unhelpful people around you - the information on this page will also guide you. When you speak to the counsellor on the telephone, what is your first impression? Is she/he taking the time to talk to you, happy to answer your questions? |
|
Have you found the right person for you? |
|
Assessment? |
|
Your first session should ideally be used to begin to deal with the problems, rather than just being an assessment. You do not have to commit yourself at this stage - it is fine to say you would like to think about it before committing yourself. |
|
After the first session you should know: |
|
whether you feel you can trust the counsellor whether you feel you can get on/feel comfortable with her/him notice of, and payment for, cancelled sessions flexibility in timing and frequency of sessions whether the counsellor generally does short-term or long-term work how many sessions can you have if they are funded and what the arrangements are if you need more sessions. whether or not each of you can be seen separately, if you are attending as a couple. whether you can come on your own unannounced, if your partner cannot make the appointment. whether your counsellor is able to help you with your problems and has actually made a start. |
|
A Human Givens Therapist can deal with traumatic memories fast, without you having to go over the event(s) in any detail. |
|
|
|
Ending counselling |
|
It has come to my attention, through this website, that people often have queries about ending counselling. If you have to consult a website to find out about ending counselling, than you may need to think about what that means in terms of your relationship with your counsellor/therapist. What are your reasons for wanting to end? How difficult is it to bring up the matter of ending? Ask yourself also: do you feel comfortable in your sessions, is the counselling/therapy actually helping you, is it making a noticeable difference? Is it possible that your counsellor is resisting your wanting to end a bit too much? There may be ethical implications here and if you are unsure you can contact the organisation your counsellor belongs to or the BACP just to enquire in confidence. |
|
Home Human Givens Relationship help Dealing with an ending Your mental well-being Helping you to recover Counselling or therapy Links |
|
Elly Prior, HG Dip P, Cert CC Relate, MHGI, MBACP (Accred) Human Givens Therapist Gillingham, Kent, UK Tel.: (+44) 01634 856176 Email |
|
Updated: 07/01/06 |
|
'Learning from Wonderful Lives' The first self-help book by Dr FeelGood of The Times. |