There are so many types of counselling on offer that it can be very confusing. You will see Cognitive Behaviour therapy (CBT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Gestalt, Integrative, Person Centred counselling, Psychodynamic, Psychosynthesis, Solution Focussed, Transactional Analysis (TA), Transpersonal and so on. Understanding what each one means could entail lots of research.
Most counsellors will agree that what is most important is not so much the type of counselling but the quality of the relationship between you and your counsellor. In other words - when you meet with that counsellor how comfortable do you feel as you sit in their room with them? Can you talk openly with this person? Do you feel at the end of the first session that he or she has really heard and understood you? Is the counsellor willing to answer questions about his or her training and experience? Are they experienced in the types of problems that you will be bringing? Do they feel 'solid' and reliable?
However, first you have to select your counsellor - and you may need to do some shopping around and be prepared to pay for a first session with one or more counsellors before you find the right one for you. As a general rule I would advise that you start off by checking out their qualifications and experience: has the counsellor completed a full training and become an accredited counsellor or psychotherapist with a recognised professional body such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)? You can check this by visit the relevant web-site or by phoning that organisation.
You also need to think about what kind of commitment you are prepared to make. How much time and money are you prepared to spend on sorting out these difficulties? Could you attend an hour's counselling every week? How many sessions can you afford? Are you ready for the kind of self searching that is required in counselling?
That brings us to the question: what is counselling? Here's one definition:
"A counsellor will endeavour to help you focus on and understand more clearly the issues which concern you, and will aim to work with you towards making choices or changes which are right for you"
Many people have said to me that what was important was the experience of being really listened to and understood at a deep level and that that boosted their self esteem and helped them see what was needed in their lives, so they could then make the necessary decisions.
