Counselling for Depression (CfD) experiences?

[worrier83]

After months of waiting I am finally restarting counselling. I have been offered a 10 - 12 week one to one course called "counselling for depression" CfD which seems to be a new scheme the NHS is doing. Is anyone else doing this course? The counsellor says the goal is to try to find out what my feelings really are which I think will be impossibly difficult as I have no idea anymore and just laugh everything off as a nervous joke.

Just curious for any experiences as I am finding it very hard to find anything about it online other than course providers!

[Cheesemonster13]

I'm afraid I haven't done this course, worrier83, but I have been to counselling in the past, and generally found it helpful.

What I would suggest, as you have problems talking about your feelings, write them down and take your notes in with you. Then if you have problems opening up during the session, your counsellor can refer to your notes.

Actually, it's quite an eye-opener when you start to write. I found, that I didn't even realise I was experiencing certain feelings, they were so deeply buried, I suppose.

Anyway, good luck with the counselling.

[MyNameIsTerry]

If you Google it you will get a complete training outline for therapists on the IAPT website so that might fill in some blanks for you?

It's humanistic so it won't be interested in your past and it seems one of its aims is to look at how you feel and how you think you should feel. I assume that is because of the pressure we put on ourselves, how we think we can't be ok without being a certain way and how we view our current situations in a negatively skewed way (Cognitive Distortions)