REBT was developed by American psychologist Albert Ellis in the 1950’s and although it is clearly a close relative of CBT, was developed prior to the most popular form of therapy delivered today. It is in fact the first cognitive behaviour therapy developed. Ellis’s theory suggests that humans have both rational (constructive, meaningful, socially promoting) thoughts and behaviours but also irrati... »
In order to understand trauma, we must first consider, what does trauma mean? Nowadays, the term ‘trauma’ is often used loosely to refer to an event or experience that is emotionally upsetting or distressing. For example, you may hear someone discussing a ‘hair trauma’ when they are having a ‘bad hair day’. On the other hand, you may have come across deeply distressing trauma narratives that ... »
Grief theories provide a conceptual base for understanding grief and loss as a process involving many common characteristics and phases. A general understanding of these will help you understand and anticipate the process that people may go through. This will help you to identify and normalise reactions to loss, and to identify where further help may be needed. »
This article describes the practical experience of an imagery rescript from schema therapy, and also discusses some of the evidence for this approach in treating trauma or schemas which originated in childhood. »
Naturally when clients attend for counselling sessions, there should be some thought given to any vested interest we, the counsellor, have in the outcome. If, for example, the sign on the door has ‘Smoking cessation counsellor’ written upon it, we can, to some extent, assume the work is focussed on actually altering that behaviour and the same could be said for alcohol and other drugs, weight mana... »
Some counsellors will be familiar with the work of Eric Berne and his seminal text: The Games People Play (1968) or I’m Ok, You’re Ok (Harris, 1967) and Staying Ok (Harris, 1985). Berne developed transactional analysis, based upon the ideas of Freud and Jung, but also developed an approach that is distinctly different, as he focussed on patients social ‘transactions’. Berne translated the relative... »
In this article we will highlight some useful models for working with clients’ ‘Parts’. Numerous psychological theory models seek to describe and explain the functioning of, the different aspects of our neurophysiology/personality and these in turn are used to explain our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. Examples early on include Freud’s id, ego and super-ego and later on Eric Berne re... »
For many people, emotional intelligence (EI) is an innate strength; some people can perceive, control, and evaluate their emotions with ease, while others require practice in this area. EI is something that everybody in our society ought to have; it’s the ability to manage emotions effectively and respond accordingly to various situations. This ability is necessary for anyone who wants to fu... »
As a counsellor, you will likely encounter clients who are anxious about career-related concerns. They may be kids, teenagers, or adults, and may come from any number of social or economic strata; vocational pressure effects people of all demographics, and there is a robust literature that suggests strategies that counsellors can use to attend to these anxieties as they appear in these populations... »
Clients can, and often do, present for counselling in a mildly, or even highly anxious state and counsellors frequently use ‘grounding techniques’ for the alleviation of both acute and chronic anxiety. Here, we explore the techniques seen as most effective from an evidence-based point of view but additionally consider the thoughts of counsellors in practice i.e., practice-based evidence. »
Compassion Fatigue (CF), Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Vicarious Trauma (VT) have all been highlighted in the research literature as risks for counsellors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals (Sutton, et al, 2022). In the current post-pandemic era, burnout amongst mental health workers is a subject more prevalent than ever and subsequently has been studied widely in practit... »
Many clients who access counselling have multiple services assisting them with their ongoing living, health, and social needs. In some cases, clients are supported by a case manager (or a case management service) who coordinates these services to make sure that clients’ needs and goals are met in an efficient and effective manner (Summers, 2016). »
How accurately can you predict how you come across? Are you good at picking up how you are feeling and how this affects those around you? How well do you consciously know and understand yourself including your feelings, wants, goals, desires and motivations? Self-awareness is paramount to Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Regulation (ER) and is commonly defined as the understanding of our ... »
Expressive therapies involve the use of various creative arts techniques to facilitate the counselling process. While there are a range of different modalities encompassed under the umbrella of expressive therapies, in a nutshell, expressive therapies are those that use creative expression as a therapeutic device. Activities such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, writing, creative movement, ... »
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