Counselling too short?

[Emilysdad]

I had counselling for anxiety and depression, but I was getting gradually worse, and, like with a lot of these schemes, the sessions were limited to 6 (but they did give me an extra one). So now I feel like I've started a process which has forced me to confront my problems, but which has ended before finding ways to manage them.

The result is that I spend my entire day focussing on how I feel, but am left high and dry as regards any advice or coping strategy.

I appreciate that resources are limited and that as with all things at some point you have to let go of the hand and try to cope on your own, but does anyone agree that 6/7 sessions is too short? Or do people normally find that this is a reasonable balance?

[littleredhen]

I agree with you. 6/7 sessions way to short, especially if you've had issues that have been long-term and even more so if you have problems talking or opening up. I've found that I'm only just starting to tell the counsellor anything by the 5/6 session.

I found private group therapy helped. It's much cheaper than one to one, and usually for longer and sometimes the opportunity to talk to others afterwards. It can be quite difficult to find a group though (and that's how I found this website and my local group).

[Emilysdad]

I agree with you. 6/7 sessions way to short, especially if you've had issues that have been long-term and even more so if you have problems talking or opening up. I've found that I'm only just starting to tell the counsellor anything by the 5/6 session.

I found private group therapy helped. It's much cheaper than one to one, and usually for longer and sometimes the opportunity to talk to others afterwards. It can be quite difficult to find a group though (and that's how I found this website and my local group).

Thanks for this. One thing my counsellor did do before I had to finish with her was to give me some contacts (Samaritans, Mind etc), so I'll try those, but like you, after 6/7 sessions, I felt we were only scratching the surface, and nowhere near coming up with any long term management of my symptoms.

[thetube82]

could you not get a referral back for some more sessions??

thetube82

[rock chick]

Over here it's 10 sessions covered by Medicare per year and for complicated issues I feel that's still generally not long enough so 6 or 7, not doesn't sound like enough.
Until recently I decided because of the limit I wouldn't bother, just to get to say half way working through my issues to be told, come back next year!
However this year I decided it was better than nothing but I would see someone private if I had the money.

One thing I don't have much of an issue with is opening up to people giving me one on one therapy, I'm not sure I'd do well in group therapy.

[macc noodle]

I had 6 months of sessions - first 2 months weekly, then fortnightly unless I needed to go back to weekly - in all I had 19 sessions.

However when they stopped and I hit a blip, actually getting hold of the back up sessions promised proved impossible which I have found very hard.

CBT takes lots of hard work and to be honest , doing the exercises set under clinical conditions were a walk in the park compared to actually employing the techniques under real times of anxiety and panic !! A bit of back up then would be invaluable!!

[theharvestmouse]

I agree, I think the NHS's 6 sessions is too short. By the end of my 6 I was just starting to feel the benefit, but I really could have done with another 6 to see the whole thing through.

[annette1]

I had 6 counselling sessions (CBT) at my GP surgery followed by another 6 but still felt I'd only just scratched the surface. I was finding she was trying to give me strategies to cope with my panic attacks & anxieties but that was all, we weren't addressing my other symptoms.
At the end of the 12 wks the counsellor said she felt I needed more indepth therapy but there was none available.

The best my GP could do was refer me to the Mental Health team, by now I was showing signs of PTSD. A referral would have meant a minimum of 12wks wait for assessment followed by 6 mths on the waiting list for therapy. She advised to seek private therapy if I could aford it.

My GP was not allowed to recommend a T so I did a google search & came up with a specialist clinic in my town. I made some enquires by email & the next day received a phone call from the psychologist & was given an appointment for the following day when she diagnosed me with PTSD.

Private therapy has been expensive & very tough but has been a life saver. My therapy lasted 21/2 yrs, the first year was weekly sessions. Having a private therapist has meant i have had support at hand when i've needed it either by text, phone or email. I havent seen her for 6 mths now but at least I know she is there if I do.

[haz]

I was saying this to my CPN on Monday. I also had 6/7 sessions and found them really helpful. I also told my psychiatrist that if I could get even one session every few months to "top it up" and remind me of the things she taught me, it would be really helpful.

Unfortunately, due to funding, the only option is to go private which I can't afford.

So I completely understand where you're coming from.

Haz.

[Lindy]

I have also gone private. I'm paying £25 for 50 minutes, once a week. I've been going over a year now and it's helped immensely. I would encourage others who feel they need it to find someone who has flexible prices.

---------- Post added at 16:40 ---------- Previous post was at 16:39 ----------

....I would also encourage anyone with anxiety issues to do the CBT4Panic course affiliated to this site. It's pretty amazing how effective it is :)

[rock chick]

For a short while years ago I was paying to see 1 but it wasn't really private but not public as such, it was a low fee to see a training psychologist at a university campus area but I found they lacked enough experience to help me with what I wanted.

Before that I was seeing a psychiatrist that didn't charge me and did it through medicare (this was before the 10 session a year thing was brought in) but I was considered low priority because of it and only usually was able to get 30 minute appointments every two weeks, well the therapy part seemed to only last about 20-15 mins by the time I'd talked about what had been happening. Finally stopped bothering because it wasn't enough, didn't feel I was making much progress with those time frames.

When I started getting psychiatric help I was a teenager so getting it regularly and for free was much easier, sometimes I'd take that for granted but knew once I became an adult things wouldn't be so easy.

If you can find a good therapist with flexible or relatively low rates that's great, they are rather thin on the ground though.