What is Counselling and How Can it Help Me?

Counselling is typically offered on a one-to-one basis with you and your counsellor who may be termed as a counsellor, therapist, psychotherapist or play therapist. Sometimes, counselling can be offered as a group, however, for the purposes of focusing on your individual needs, we are providing information based on one-to-one counselling which is better suited to trauma-informed counselling. Please read the information provided in these links which describes ‘what is counselling’ and ‘what is Play Therapy’:

 

https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-is-counselling/

 

https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/counselling-directory/reasons-for-seeking-counselling

 

https://playtherapy.org.uk/About-PTUK

 

https://www.bapt.info/

 

Whilst this information provides you with information as to what is counselling or play therapy, when you have experienced a trauma, your counselling needs to be trauma-informed counselling/therapy. This means that your counsellor/therapist has been trained in working with trauma.

There are many models of trauma, a trauma informed counsellor may work from differing modalities, but being trauma informed means, they have the knowledge and experience to support you.

If you are looking for a counsellor/therapist for a young person, as well as being trauma-informed, it is important that the counsellor has specific qualifications counselling children and young people. This is because their training will involve learning about child development, differing theoretic models of working with CandYP, attachment theory as well as child mental health.

In essence, when searching for a trauma counsellor/therapist, request their qualifications and experience to provide credible evidence that they are competent in being able to effectively work with you or your family member.

Some counsellors have specific trauma qualifications such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy or TF-CBT (trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy).

Some trauma-informed practice qualifications are not stand alone but incorporated into degree qualifications.

 

Any counsellor or therapist who practices with professional integrity will be happy to discuss their approach, qualifications, and experience with you when you initially contact them.