(Extract from the Mind Publication "Understanding Talking Treatments ")

These are some of the types of talking treatment which are available:

The Self-help Group:

This is usually for people who want to overcome a problem shared by members of the group. It may be alcohol abuse, depression or being scared to go out of the hours, to give some examples. Often these groups are led by people who have overcome the difficulties themselves. The people in the group are able to share their experiences, and learn from and encourage each other.

The Support Group:

This is similar but for people with a common background or interest. For example, mothers of young children, gay men or people doing similar, stressful jobs.

Individual Counselling:

This is an opportunity to be listened to while you talk about whatever is bothering you. It may be over the phone. The Samaritans provide this service 24 hours a day for anyone who is in need. There is also telephone counselling available for people dealing with particular crises; Rape Crisis Lines for example. If you see a counsellor in person it may be for one session or you may arrange regular appointments, perhaps an hour a week for several months. Counselling tends to focus on current problems, with the counsellor helping you to find the best ways to tackle them.

With these sorts of counselling the most important skill the counsellor has is the ability to listen.

The word 'counselling' is also used to describe what is basically advice-giving; for example debt counselling or even beauty counselling. This leaflet does not deal with that type of counselling.

Individual Psychotherapy:

The sessions are one or more times a week and may last several years. The purpose of it may be quite general; perhaps simply to become happier. It can also be used to overcome more specific problems such as compulsive eating  or lack of confidence. The psycho therapist helps you to reach a greater understanding of the events which have shaped your life and of self destructive patterns of behaviour. Talking about them can help you to release painful feelings and find better ways of handling situations you have previously found difficult.

Psychotherapists have many different styles of working. Some will want you to talk mainly about your early childhood and others will be more interested in what can be learnt from the relationship you make with them. Some will want to know how you feel about yourself as a woman, a black person or someone with a physical disability, to give some examples. Others will be more interested in your dreams and fantasies. Some will encourage you to get rid of bad feelings by crying or getting angry, as well as talking.

There is a great deal of overlap between psychotherapy and counselling

Relationship Counselling:

This is for couples who want to sort out problems in their relationship. They attend together and are helped to express their difficulties, listen to each other and find ways of making the relationship work better. Or they may decide to end the relationship but, hopefully, having gained more understanding of why it was not working and how they can avoid making the same mistakes again.

Family Therapy:

This is like relationship counselling but for the entire family.

Group Therapy:

The people in the group usually meet once a week with one or two psychotherapists. Groups work in different ways. Basically they are places where people can learn more about how they relate to others and are helped to overcome difficulties. The group is a place where it is possible to practice being different, perhaps being more assertive or more vulnerable.

Psychological Treatments:

Treatments offered by psychologists include:

Behaviour therapy: This is used to help people overcome fears such as feeling too scared to go into a shop. The person is given the opportunity to talk about the problem and supported to take gradual steps to overcome it. Obsessive behaviour, such as washing may times a day, can also be overcome using these methods.

Cognitive therapy: This helps people to identify destructive thought patterns. They learn to notice when they are caught up in them and to change them to more constructive thoughts.

Social skills training: This is taught in a group and helps people learn to relate better to other people.

The Therapeutic Community:

This is a place where you go to live or attend regularly during the day. Usually there is a mixture of individual and group therapy, and informal support from other members of the community.

These brief explanations are only intended to give you some idea of what to expect from these different forms of talking treatments.

Topics also included in this leaflet are: