About counselling;
- Counselling is a therapeutic relationship between two people, usually is that of a client and a counselor. The counselor helps the client to make positive changes in his or her life, their environment and also in themselves to help them overcome and deal with any issues they may be having.
- It can be very beneficial not only to those in recovery from anorexia but for depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD and a multitude of other issues. These don’t necessarily have to be mental health issues!
- It provides a regular and safe space to discuss the emotional issues which might keep you going back to unhelpful behaviors as a way of coping.
- Counselors are trained in the art of empathy and, in my experience, are always respectful and understanding.
In my case counselling is used to help me with the emotional and mental aspects of anorexia and depression. Although I have only ever had counselling on a one to one basis (because that is usually what is offered on the national health service) there are other ways that counseling can be carried out i.e in a group setting, over the phone, over skype or online.
Bare in mind that it takes a while to feel the effects of counselling and it also takes your full commitment and effort. It’s not a quick fix so you need to put in the work on your end to get anything out of it.
Remember: Things don’t happen over night so don’t expect to wake up and POOF you’re cured.
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Different types of counselling;
If you’re anything like me then you thought it stopped with CBT. Well buckle up because there are literally dozens of different types but I’m only gong to touch ona few. Below are three of the more commonly used types of therapy for eating disorder recovery. As I mentioned this is not a definitive list and there are others out there – pull up google and give it a go!
NB; You might find that you need to use several different kinds of counselling at different stages in your recovery so don’t get tied down to one kind.
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If you work with a counselor they will probably incorporate different types of therapy at one point or another in your recovery. In my experience some counselors borrow from several different areas of different therapy types – this seems to work best as you are addressing the issue from all angles.
That being said it’s important that you work with one professional or clinic at a time so as not to over lap treatment. It’s not that anyone would be giving you bad advice (especially not if licensed) but it’s more that there may be differing opinions or takes of certain aspects of your therapy. Don’t over lap because this can cause confusion!
Finally take note that it might take a few tries to find a counselor you like and can see yourself working with so don’t be afraid to try before you buy (or settle).
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