Counselling

[humble soul]

I've had counselling. But not for about 6 or 7 years. It's expensive and without a suitable counsellor, a waste of time.
By suitable, I mean tuned in to you. Interested. Not half -hearted nodding and smiling. You need someone who is in your corner. Here I'm saying more than just empathy. Sympathy. Not too much or you get spoiled. But just enough to feel validated.
Of course we need to be challenged. But I think it has to be done skilfully. Our comfort zones are sometimes the problem. We need to change. Not other people. Maybe that's an assumption some of us make. That if we changed our circumstances, we could solve our problems. Usually the problem is our thinking. Stubborn thinking I might add.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Not a fan of mental health inc. Talk, pills, blah blah blah.

 

[humble soul]

Not a fan of mental health inc. Talk, pills, blah blah blah.

When was your last visit empowered?

 

[evenifigoalone]

I had a counselor for a couple years. You do have to shop around a bit to find the one that's the right fit for you, but I was too nice to do that, haha. That and the program I was in kinda set me up anyways. It was nice to have someone to get out all my thoughts with, at least. It was just talk therapy with some occasional exercises, like one time they had me fill out a paper that was asking me to highlight my good qualities. Considering I deal with OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy is something I would have been up for trying. Or I could have been more insistent on tips for handling intrusive thoughts. But oh well.
I actually quit therapy earlier this year because I was doing very well and no longer needed it..... Didn't want to take up space in place of someone who did need it

 

[humble soul]

It was just talk therapy with some occasional exercises

The ones I went to , used CBT mainly. It felt like I was interrupted every second sentence.
Would have preferred talk therapy.

 

[WIP]

After my first wife and I separated I went into a severe depression and ended up spending time in a mental health hospital. Turned out that one of the counselors that worked with me was someone I knew. I did not know that he was a counselor. For me, the one thing that he did that helped me the most was to be very frank with me and force me to look at things realistically.

 

[humble soul]

After my first wife and I separated I went into a severe depression and ended up spending time in a mental health hospital. Turned out that one of the counselors that worked with me was someone I knew. I did not know that he was a counselor. For me, the one thing that he did that helped me the most was to be very frank with me and force me to look at things realistically.

Thanks for sharing Wip. That must have been traumatic. I could have ended up in a mental hospital as a patient. Instead I ended up working in one. I learnt a lot. My traumas are tiny compared to others. My work colleagues could be more insane than patients. Guess I was a bit insane to them too. But we were supposed to be the sane ones. I was difficult to work with perhaps. Colleagues got on my nerves quite easily. My boss said I did my job well but lacked team work patience and social skills. Fair enough. I'm a loner. I know that. My current job suits me better. I work alone.

 

[humble soul]

I like how people let God be their counsellor.
It makes a lot of sense.
You just imagine a person totally non judgemental, empathetic, sympathetic, wise, giving minimal but useful advice. Walk out feeling understood. Someone is on your side.
Like the end of the movie "Breakfast Club" with the song playing " Don't you forget about me". You feel less alone.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I just think it is pseudoscience.

 

[humble soul]

I just think it is pseudoscience.

Come on empowered. Elaborate.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I could have ended up in a mental hospital as a patient. Instead I ended up working in one. I learnt a lot. My traumas are tiny compared to others

Same here. Even though I actually do have a diagnosis, as well as a past of psychological addiction, right now my stuff is mostly under control, so I feel like compared to other people my problems are small. I'm in a mental health support peer group, everyone in there is either diagnosed with a mental illness or some other mental disability.

 

[humble soul]

Same here. Even though I actually do have a diagnosis, as well as a past of psychological addiction, right now my stuff is mostly under control, so I feel like compared to other people my problems are small. I'm in a mental health support peer group, everyone in there is either diagnosed with a mental illness or some other mental disability.

We mentally ill can be useful to the mentally ill.