I would try to give you a sense of what the therapy / counselling process would be like. This is our latest video on our YouTube channel. Here is the verbatim of this video in this article.

1. What happens in Counselling / Therapy process

Counselling is a safe space where you can express yourself openly and without any hesitation because there is no judgement from the therapist. You are accepted by the therapist as you are.

And what you share in the counselling process would be strictly confidential. Having said that confidentiality has certain limits and you will told upfront what those circumstances could be.

I usually tell my clients

Confidentiality does not apply
– If there is any risk to your life or safety or for anyone else.
– If there is evidence or suspicion of Child or Elder abuse  Etc
– If you are being sponsored by your organization from your EAP, do read your company EAP policy additionally.
– It is important that you understand the process and terms before you provide your Informed Consent to the process.

2. So what really happens in the therapy session?

Of course you will talk and share a lot about yourself and what you are going through your thoughts your emotions your circumstances in the process.  Your therapist would listen to you actively and ask you specific questions, or highlight certain aspects in your narrative or what you are not talking about as well.

Your unhelpful beliefs may emerge allowing you to challenge them. You may experience and explore your deeper emotions and experiences.

Therapy can involve restructuring of your thoughts and beliefs or  reorganizing your emotional experiences or even making sense of your bodily affect – all this depends upon what is that you are looking for from the therapy process.

So your consent, agency and your power is always with you and is paramount in the process.

3. So how is therapy different from talking to a friend or close one?

Therapy is a purposeful process. It is a professional relationship, that is genuine, warm and  that gets built between the client and the therapist. Most part of therapy would be in the form of conversations with your therapist. Having said that this will be different from your relationship or a conversation with a friend or any one else.

Here the both of you would be focused on you and the goals that you want to set for yourself. The intent of the therapy process would be to facilitate your understanding of your own self better your circumstances better to learn or build those skills and resources so that you can make changes and move towards a goals of your choice.

Therapy can be a supportive process but you will also be gently challenged in the process towards awareness, health and growth.

4. How do you set goals in the therapy process?

It is a good idea to have a fair sense of what you are looking for from the therapy process before you start. Most people usually know that. Having said that sometimes it is possible that initially you may not be 100% sure but the therapist would help you arrive at a point of clarity so that both of you will have a clear understanding of what you are working towards.  EOD you will set your goals in collaboration with the therapist make them realistic and achievable.

5. What do you do in the process?

Therapy a collaborative process. You and your therapist work together as a team. And it is important that you are actively engaged in the process. Therapist does not do anything to you or change you. Your therapist does not offer solutions or advice but enables you to arrive at the solutions that are right for you.  The idea is that you not just arrive at solutions for your current problem but also you gain skills and resources to deal with future problems as well.  

6. What happens in between sessions?

Therapy is not just that one hour that you spend with your therapist every week or every fortnight. The process also continues in between sessions. You may be asked to think about certain things or introspect or to an activity or a homework, or experiment with the new behaviour etc. As I Said before your involvement, engagement and motivation are key success factors in therapy.

7. What to do once you have decided to talk to a therapist or counsellor?

If you have made the choice to meet a therapist, my suggestion for you would be to be first be comfortable with the therapist.  Be open to ask any questions or clarifications that you may have initially or at any point in therapy. And if you are, then be as open and involved as possible in the process.  End of day it is your decision, power and agency to seek changes towards growth.

If you like this video – do like and subscribe to our channel. you can watch the video here

In my next video I will talk about how to choose the therapist who is right for me.

About the Author:

Kala Balasubramanian is a certified Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist with a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Diplomas in Counselling and has further certifications specializing in couple/marriage/relationship counselling and family counselling. She is trained in different modalities like CBT, Gestalt, NLP, Family Systems Therapy, TA etc. As a trained therapist, she provides professional and confidential counselling services including Individual counselling and Couples counselling / Marriage counselling.

Currently with the COVID-19 situation, all counselling services are offered online over video calls. Reach us at +91 9632146316 or write to us at counselor@innerdawn.in

The post What really happens in therapy / counselling first appeared on Inner Dawn Counselling.

The recent incident of Suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput, and the associated complexities of the case, have been extensively covered in the media. It is important for the media to provide an objective and unbiased view on what is happening rather than on the basis of sensationalism. How is the client’s confidentiality maintained? How important is that?

Different media channels project and highlight different aspects of the case. And one of the aspects which has been significantly highlighted is the mental health issues of the late actor.

Though the topic of mental health, being discussed in the public domain, is good, it has also raised many questions regarding client-therapist confidentiality.

This also brings up a lot of questions from my existing clients and potential clients who want to enter into therapy with respect to what is confidential what is not. And it has also created more fear and hesitation amongst potential clients, whether the information that they share in therapy will be disclosed, and in what context under which circumstances.

Mental health practitioners adhere to a Code of ethics in which Confidentiality is fundamental. And practitioners will explain the terms, conditions and clauses around the topics of confidentiality to clients and will need to adhere to it.

Here are 5 questions that you can ask your therapist/counsellor regarding confidentiality.

1. What are the confidentiality clauses of your contract / working arrangement?
2. Are there situations where confidentiality can be broken?  What are they?
3. Will you discuss with me, what your plan of action is, if there is a need for a breach of confidentiality?
4. What code of ethics do you follow in your practice?
5. If you discuss my case with your supervisor/colleagues, how will I still be protected?

Having said that, in a way it is good that the mental health has become a topic of conversation and it is important that it does not remain a taboo any more.

Inner dawn counsellor Kala Balasubramanian’s views featured in Deccan Herald Metro life, dated 5^th September 2020.

https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/media-spin-raises-questions-882624.html

The post Confidentiality in mental health spaces – An important factor first appeared on Inner Dawn Counselling.