Mental health has increasingly become a topic of significant concern and discussion in today's society. As the stigma surrounding mental health issues begins to diminish, the demand for mental health services has surged. At the forefront of providing these essential services are mental health counsellors.
A mental health counsellor is a trained professional who works with individuals, families, groups, and communities to address and treat emotional, behavioural, and mental health issues. These counsellors are equipped with the skills to help clients manage and overcome a wide range of psychological difficulties, from anxiety and depression to trauma and substance abuse.
The responsibilities of a mental health counsellor are diverse and multifaceted. They include:
1. Assessment: Conducting thorough assessments to understand the client's mental health status and identify specific issues that need to be addressed.
2. Treatment Planning: Developing individualised treatment plans that outline the therapeutic approaches and goals based on the client's unique needs.
3. Therapy: Providing various forms of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based practices to help clients cope with their issues.
4. Crisis Intervention: Offering immediate support and intervention during mental health crises, such as suicidal intention or severe anxiety attacks.
5. Advocacy: Helping clients navigate systems of care, advocating for their needs, and connecting them with resources and support services.
6. Education: Educating clients and their families about mental health issues, coping strategies, and the importance of ongoing treatment and self-care.
Mental health counsellors are vital to the fabric of our society, providing essential services that promote emotional and psychological well-being. As mental health issues continue to come to the forefront of public health discussions, the role of these professionals will only grow in importance. By offering support, education, and advocacy, mental health counsellors help individuals navigate their challenges and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Individual Improvement: Clients often experience significant improvements in their emotional and psychological well-being. This can lead to better relationships, enhanced job performance, and an overall higher quality of life.
Prevention: By addressing issues early, counselors can help prevent more severe mental health problems from developing. Early intervention is key in managing mental health effectively.
Stigma Reduction: Mental health counsellors contribute to breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues. Through education and advocacy, they promote a more accepting and supportive society.
Community Health: By working with groups and communities, mental health counsellors address broader issues such as substance abuse, domestic violence, and community trauma, fostering healthier communities.
The aim of CBT is to help you explore and change how you think about your life, and free yourself from unhelpful patterns of behaviour.
You set goals with your therapist and may carry out tasks between sessions.
A course might include 5 to 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes.
CBT has been shown to work for a variety of mental health problems, including:
CBT is available through Unity Health Network Ltd for people with depression, anxiety disorders and other mental and physical health problems that it's been proven to help.
Counselling is a talking therapy where you talk in confidence to a counsellor. They help you find ways to deal with difficulties in your life.
for example, you:
Counselling for depression has been specially developed to help people understand the underlying causes of their depression. Talking therapies services are normally very helpful and usually offered to people who have mild to moderate depression and have already tried other therapies, such as guided self-help, or other therapies are not suitable for them.
Behavioural activation is a talking therapy that aims to help people with depression take simple, practical steps towards enjoying life again.
It may be offered one-to-one or in a group with regular meetings or phone calls with a therapist.
The aim is to give you the motivation to make small, positive changes in your life.
You'll also learn problem-solving skills to help you tackle problems that are affecting your mood.
You'll usually be offered about 16 to 20 sessions.
IPT is a talking treatment that helps people with depression identify and address problems in their relationships with family, partners and friends.
The idea is that poor relationships with people in your life can leave you feeling depressed.
Depression can in turn make your relationships with other people worse.
You may be offered IPT if you have mild to moderate depression that hasn't responded to other talking therapies, such as CBT.
IPT is usually offered for 16 to 20 sessions.
Mindfulness-based therapies help you focus on your thoughts and feelings as they happen, moment by moment.
MBCT is used to help prevent depression coming back, and to help some types of anxiety and stress.
MBCT combines mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathing exercises with cognitive therapy, which is about learning how to manage your thoughts and how they make you feel.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy looks at how childhood experiences and thoughts you're not aware of (your unconscious mind) affect your thinking, feelings, relationships and behaviour today.
You talk to a therapist, one-on-one, about your thoughts and feelings. This type of talking therapy may be offered for around 16 sessions.
Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is for people people who have depression or depression plus a long-term health condition.
Couple therapy can help people who have depression that may be linked to problems in their relationship with their partner. It's sometimes called behavioural couple therapy (BCT) or couple therapy for depression (CTfD).
Couple therapy usually includes 15 to 20 sessions over 5 to 6 months.
Services start at £50 per 60 minute remote session via telephone or video call.