About Counselling & Psychotherapy

Why Seek Counselling or Psychotherapy?

The reasons people come to counselling or psychotherapy are as varied as people themselves. Often, clients have encountered distressing or stressful experiences or situations which they'd like to talk about in a safe setting. These might include present circumstances of bereavement, separation, or other major life transitions, or experiences from the past, such as in childhood. Others seek help in dealing with specific psychological or behavioural traits which they'd like to alter, such as compulsive thoughts or difficulties relating to people. Some people seek counselling to help them explore a general feeling that their lives are not quite right, or to cope with feelings of depression or anxiety. Still others look to counselling as part of their effort to discover or create meaning in their lives. Many people are attracted to counselling as an opportunity to undertake personal development in a safe and supportive environment: it is not at all necessary to have a 'problem' to find counselling useful.

People seeking general development as well as difficulties ranging from 'minor niggles' to profound distress impacting all areas of life have benefited from counselling and psychotherapy.

Are There Other Benefits of Counselling or Psychotherapy?

In addition to help with specific goals or difficulties, clients who undertake counselling may experience general improvements in quality of life, including:

• decreased defensiveness
• increased ability to express themselves
• improved relationships with other people
• increased self-esteem

What is It?

Whatever their reason for seeking it out, clients coming to counselling or psychotherapy will find a safe and confidential environment and a supportive human being who will listen to them non-judgementally and strive to understand thoughts and feelings from the client's own point of view. Depending on their preferred therapeutic approach, clients may choose to work with a counsellor who offers almost no direct advice and simply supports them in their own explorations, or they may choose to work with a counsellor who challenges them and teaches them particular techniques which can help them meet their goals.

The section on Types of Counselling explores some of the therapeutic approaches which are available, and a page in that section also discusses research on Comparing Effectiveness.

The US government's National Mental Health Information Center has also produced several guides, including a general consumer guide and a treatment and therapy guide, while their self-help guides offer suggestions on some of the things you can do yourself to look after your mental health.

An extra page explains so-called 'consumer credit counselling' and separates it out as something completely different.

Who Goes to Counselling or Psychotherapy?

Clients come from all walks of life and from all occupations. They may be senior executives running large corporations, or they may be students or unemployed. Clients may be young children, aged over 100, or anywhere in between. They may be physically healthy, or they may be suffering from a debilitating or even terminal illness. Men and women of all kinds benefit from the services provided by counsellors and psychotherapists.

How Would I Do It?

Our favourite approach is naturally our own online therapy and counselling service! This service, headed by the Managing Editor Dr Greg Mulhauser and spun off in 2008 to a new site at MyTherapist.com, is used regularly by clients from all over the world.

Of course, working online isn't for everyone -- and even if working online is for you, you may prefer to work with a different counsellor. This section provides additional information on Finding Counsellors as well as some questions to think about (or to ask of prospective counsellors) when Selecting a Counsellor. In partnership with Psychology Today magazine, CounsellingResource.com is also now able to bring you an online directory of therapists covering several US states and with credentials independently verified by the magazine.

We also provide some US-centric information on insurance and paying for mental health services.

What About Licensing?

A separate page describes licensing for mental health practitioners in the US and elsewhere.