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Page 1 of 5 Discover how counseling, therapy and support groups work and how these different talking treatments might help you.
Why try talking treatments?
What are the different talking treatments?
Who are talking treatments for?
When are talking treatments not suitable?
Do talking treatments work?
How can I get started?
How the therapist-patient relationship works
Organizations that can help
Counseling, Therapy, Support Groups: How They Work, What They Do For You
Here's a brief guide to the different types of talking treatments that are available. It also provides information on who might benefit from them and who you should contact about getting this type of help.
Why try talking treatments?
Talking treatments (i.e. counseling, therapy, support groups) can help you to overcome emotional difficulties and free yourself from self-destructive ways of feeling, thinking and behaving. They work by providing an opportunity for you to talk in a way that assists you to understand yourself better. Having gained this understanding, you can work out ways of living your life in a more positive and constructive way.
This way of changing your life is very different from using drugs, such as tranquilizers and antidepressants, which doctors often prescribe for people who are emotionally distressed. These drugs change your mood by affecting the balance of chemicals in your body, but do not help you to deal with underlying problems.
People who use mental health services often prefer talking treatments to drugs. Research has proved that talking treatments can be just as helpful as drugs for many mental health problems and suggests they should be offered as well as, or instead of, medication, when possible. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) makes recommendations to doctors about treating mental health problems. They often suggest forms of talking treatment that are brief, cost-effective and supported by clinical evidence. This does not necessarily mean that they are always the best form of talking treatment for you. Many organizations and private therapists offer treatment, although it can be more difficult to find if you can't afford to pay very much. (See this for more information.)
What are the different talking treatments?
There is a wide variety of talking treatments. Some last for several years, while others take just a few sessions. You may see someone on your own or be part of a group.
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 house, 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, it could be a group for mothers of young children, for gay men or for people doing similar, stressful jobs.
Individual counseling
This is an opportunity to talk about whatever is troubling you, and to be heard. It is generally face-to-face, but can also take place over the phone or via email. If you decide to see a counselor in person, it may be for one session, or you may arrange for regular appointments, perhaps an hour a week for several months. Telephone and internet counseling is also obtainable from a variety of organizations, and is especially valuable in a particular crisis.
Counseling tends to focus on your current problems, with the counselor helping you to find the best ways to tackle them. The counselor's most important skill is the ability to listen. The aim is not to tell you what to do, or to offer a personal opinion, but about helping you to arrive at your own solutions.
Individual psychotherapy
The overall aim of psychotherapy is to help you to understand why you feel the way you do, and what lies behind your responses to other people and to things that happen to you. Talking about your experiences can help you to release painful feelings and find better ways of managing situations you have been finding difficult. This should enable you to reach a greater understanding of events that have shaped your life, and of self-destructive patterns of behavior. It may, therefore, enable you to overcome specific problems, such as compulsive eating and lack of confidence, or simply allow you to become happier.
Psychotherapists have many different styles of working, and the number of sessions required can vary from one to five times a week. Each session may last for 50 minutes or an hour. You may agree to a fixed term of treatment, or the therapy may be open-ended and could continue for several years.
Some therapists 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 (known as 'the transference'). The psychotherapist may 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 counseling, and there are many different types of psychotherapy. If you want more detailed information, you can read this or you could consult the organizations listed under Useful Organizations.
continue: More Types of Therapy
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