Trying to decide what type of therapist you need to see to deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, phobias, bereavement, trauma anxiety, OCD, psychosexual issues, or couple counselling, can be very difficult.

Searching for a therapist

When searching for a therapist the first port of call is usually an online search. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what you are exactly looking for, and you are already feeling out of sorts, it can prove to be a bit of a minefield. That’s where we can help! Our Senior Counselling Consultant, Florence Gray, is on hand to guide you through the maze of counselling therapies. She will ensure that she refers you to most appropriate therapist to suit your needs.

If you have engaged in therapy before and found the experience disappointing and confusing, don’t despair. You may have been working with the wrong type of therapist!

Psychologist

When it comes to depression, a psychologist will use a range of tools to determine if the depression is mild or severe. They can then diagnosis where you are on a scale, from low mood through to clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Some of the tools a psychologist will use include EMDR, CBT, and ACT acceptance and commitment therapy. Their area of expertise will also cover anxiety, phobias, trauma, OCD.

If a psychologist assesses that your depression is severe, they will refer you to a psychiatrist who will be able to prescribe the correct medication to help stabilize your mood. If there is a chemical imbalance causing depression, the psychiatrist will work with you to find the correct medication that will bring balance to your mood. The psychiatrist will also assess the effectiveness of the prescribed medication to enable you to feel happier within yourself.

CBT Counselling

Counselling can help when perhaps depression has crept up on you due to recent events around bereavement, stress, addiction, relationship issues, work, or just the feeling of a low mood. Often unexpressed emotions around sadness and anger can contribute to a low mood. Talking to a counsellor will often help to improve how you are feeling and develop tools to help you to feel better. CBT is also a form of therapy that can really benefit clients by helping them to address negative thinking, worry and hopelessness around depression and trauma. It is also a really useful therapy when dealing with stress, addiction, anxiety, anger, and phobias. When it comes to tackling these issues, you will tend to find that CBT therapists will work on the milder end of the spectrum. CBT therapy will be sufficient to effect change, however, if the therapy is not helping you, the counsellor will consider referring you to a psychologist. Psychologists work within the more complex areas of mental health, so, therefore, have more specialisms to effect change.

Individual Counselling

This will cover general counselling which can be about a few different issues, nothing specific just general this type of work needs an integrative approach to counselling which means the counsellor has been trained to work with a broad range of issues which will include, bereavement, mild depression and low mood, family issues with parents and siblings, work issues, historical sexual abuse. Sometimes the counsellor may want to refer to another specific form of therapy to work with a specific issue that shows itself through counselling.

Psychosexual counselling

Psychosexual counselling is another highly specialised service. This therapy should only be offered by appropriately trained couple counsellors, who have undertaken a further two years of training specifically in psychosexual counselling. The psychosexual counsellor will work closely with individuals or couples and design a step-by-step treatment program.

Couple Counselling

This is also very specialised work and should only be undertaken by trained couple counsellors who have trained in this specialism for at least three years.  Couple counselling is very different from individual counselling. We will work first and foremost on the communication style and the negative patterns that recur without resolution. We will hear both sides and work without judgement.

Self-awareness is the gift you give yourself. If you feel you would like to talk to someone about an issue you are facing, and you don’t know where to turn, get in touch. Call Florence today on 0141 353 9373 or by using the form on our Contact Page.

Do it today! You deserve to give yourself support.

Florence Gray

Senior Counselling Consultant & Managing Director
Nightingale Counselling Consultancy