Poll: Did you find counselling to be a positive or negative experience?

I answered +ve as the 50% of ones I have seen were definitely more on the + side than the -ve were on the - side.

Two turned my life around (separetely) in my 20s and I have techniques that I still use to this day thanks to them.

The good news is that they have fairly well wiped the memories of the also rans during that period.

I have only ever had 2 phone sessions with an EAP psychologist, but I found it really helpful. We were focusing on a specific work related issue and the resulting impact on my mental health, so it was probably a good fit for an EAP psych. She was great.

I would probably have benefited from seeing someone regularly over the years (and DH and I for some specific marriage issues) but I find the whole process of finding someone so overwhelming and offputting.

OMG *pelagic* I think we had the same person! She was horrific and did even more damage than I’d already experienced in a DV relationship. I did not trust him at all as he was an abuser and cheated on me.

I’ve seen a very mixed bag over the years but most extremely positive. I’ve tried to make sure I now go to qualified psychologists who specialise in the field I need, and it does make a difference.

I've had 3 different councellors over the years. Best thing l ever did.

I saw the school counseller at high school, pretty useless.

I also saw a psychologist after a serious bike accident and when a new boss had arrived to turn things around, all at the same time.

I blame her for advice she gave, made my work situation 100 times worse and lead to me being made redundant. I also found for me, talking about things makes me dwell and ruminant on them more and actually making things a lot worse. I actually now prefer going to a psychiatrist instead, briefing talking and getting prescribed meds. To me, it seems most of my issues are chemical imbalances as when on meds I am much better.

Overall very positive. My psychologist I started seeing some ttc 7 years ago is good, and the counselor I was seeing before covid from SECASA was also very good. I did tak to a school counsellor who was the first person to hear that my step dad had hit me and I worried that he might hit mum one day and basically told me I was overreacting. If that reaction had been different I might have disclosed the attempted abuse earlier, but I didn't trust her after that response.

I'm surprised that we haven't crossed paths IRL [mention]Kallie[/mention]

Maybe we have [mention]magic_marker[/mention] and just don't know it!

I saw EAP once and it was a good experience. I went because I was assaulted by a patient (can't remember what it was now, possibly when I was thrown against a wall by a woman who didn't want to hand in the sharps she'd brought into the ward with her). The counsellor basically told me that, yes, it was unfair and, yes, there were management things that could have been done differently, but that the area of the hospital I worked in meant that it was very likely I'd experience violent patients so I'd have to work through if it was worth staying there.

That might not have worked for everyone but I came away feeling like it was good, clear-eyed advice and that I'd been listened to. It helped a lot.

My experiences have been fairly neutral overall. For myself, I saw a counsellor as part of a workcover claim for bullying and harassment - she was fine, I didn’t actively dislike her and needed to continue to keep getting workcover payment. I suspect someone else may have actually helped, but i was in no position mentally to find someone.

DD has seen a couple of counsellors over the last year to deal with depression and ADHD. The first was waaaaay out of her depth, and admitted it herself, the second has been OK, but has a tendency to jump to conclusions that are not necessarily right or helpful.

Reading this thread has really clarified the fact that we need someone else that clicks better, so thank you OP for asking and everyone else for replying.

High school counsellor was hopeless, and really didn't help in any practical way. In fact it felt like I was invisible at my high school - no one even noticed when I wasn't there in the most important year.

Group counselling through SARC was more helpful. I was resentful being there but I think they helped.

Family counselling when my Dad was ill was hopeless. - for me anyway.

Have seen a psychologist and a counsellor since being married (I am DHs carer and significantly stressed) and found them both useless.

DH has seen a few and the balance is more useless ones than helpful. Last one made a lot of promises about how she is different but she isn't.

I realised tonight that I have periods where I'm just so sad, and have done for decades, and that there seems to be little to do about this other than soldier on and hope I don't have a nervous breakdown at 40.

I saw a psychologist for a year recently and although a positive experience, it didn't lead to any changes in myself. Its not the first psychologist I've seen, but its the longest I've stuck with it.

I've found 4 psychs for my ds to assist with ASD and ODD. The first was brilliant, I'd go back to her in a flash. Last 3 we didn't do more than 1 session. One spoke with a patronising baby voice that made us both really squirm. Ds still does that voice sometimes for a laugh and he is usually not great with shared humour.

I saw one personally twice - once at uni for careers help and she was hopeless (told me to read a psych textbook that I was studying in my course at the time) and once when I felt like I was a bit too down after ds2 and might have a bit of pnd. It was so awkward, She told me I was probably tired and should get iron level tested and didn't need to come back. Felt so brushed off and not heard. Knocked my confidence in myself for a good 6 months at least.

We’ve seen two over the years for my daughter and they were great. The one I saw on my own wasn’t helpful at all and put me off them completely until I met my DD’s ones. I feel like medication has been more helpful for me now that I have found one that suits.

I've had mixed experiences and agree you need to find someone you click with.

The one I currently see is brilliant. Years ago I saw a student psych through university who was also fabulous. They were both the right mix of listening and suggesting practical exercises/strategies to deal with things.

I've seen others through uni, one for PND after DD was born and family counseling when I was younger and they were all useless.

Personally, I’ve had a mixed bag. Both my daughters have incredible psychologists who have had such a positive impact on them.

My own experience has been that a few are very good at listening, others just want to give you a solution and bam! Sorted. I’ll never forget the one who took my comment that I was really stressed about finances and turned it into a budgeting session, where I ended up divulging our household income and expenses and she put it all on the whiteboard and created a budget for me. I am perfectly capable of that myself, and what I needed was to discuss how it was making me FEEL. I stopped after that session.

It’s been about 3 or 4 years since I saw one, and I’m about to start again. It’s a psych linked to my daughters psychs and I’m actually really happy about that because I am keen to just debrief about how having two kids with special needs is impacting my mental health. They have my permission to collaborate with the kids psychs so they have a good idea of our dynamics going in. I am pretty keen to just word vomit to someone who hopefully won’t judge and will just listen to what I have to say, and then gently support me with some strategies about my anxiety, not about the physical aspects - like, if I wanted a budget, I’d go to a financial person if I wasn’t able to do it myself.

Honestly, I’ve had more benefit from casual chats with a social work colleague at my work than I have from formal psychology. I’m optimistic though, all psychs are not created equal and the practice we use has so far been awesome for our family. Fingers crossed.

Anything has to be better than the “thought field therapist” I saw when I was in my early twenties... I was into alternative therapies at that point, as I was working at a natural medicine college and was drawn into that world. Sure, the tapping felt nice, but I’m not sure it did anything...

My dd has a fabulous psych but her anxiety was just too overwhelming for her to engage properly in the process and help available. So she didn’t think much of her and couldn’t manage to do the calming techniques as her brain took over.

We have recently started her on an anxiety medication and now she can manage to do the things required and has a working relationship with her.. every appointment is helpful now!

I've had a counsellor for just over a year and I have clicked with her. She has greatly helped me. I went due to workplace bullying and my recent separation. But we have uncovered so much that I was unaware of including a past trauma and even some OCD tendencies!

Trying to get a psychologist for DD14 has been a lot more traumatic. She saw my counsellor initially for mild mental health issues which were dealt with in about 6 sessions. However, after the Victorian lockdown things became severe. We tried one psychologist who after 50 minutes with DD on her initial Zoom session told me to buy my daughter a dog. I am still speechless at this. DD then saw a variety of professionals in hospital before we finally got a referral to a highly regarded Mental Health Social Worker. DD has really connected with her and she has bent over backwards to give DD weekly appointments due to the acute nature of current issues.

After three tries (and three months) we finally have a referral to a psychiatrist - I can only hope and pray that DD makes a connection with her.

DD18 saw someone at HeadSpace who she really liked, but that was just for intake. By the time we had a referral to a counsellor the mild issues were over and DD18 - who was 15 at the time - really didn't like the counsellor! Now we need to find her someone due to stress over the trauma caused by her sister (DD14).

So I started my counselling journey in couples therapy.

Although I wish I had taken a wise friends advice and did individual therapy instead.

I did start individual - im onto my third. And now doing intensive group therapy as well.

Very hit and miss in my experience! A couple have been great and provided great techniques to help me manage.

Others have been a negative experience - way too opinionated, talked too much about themself, kept looking at the clock like they had somewhere better to be, didn’t seem interested in why I was there and what I wanted to talk about.

I can't answer the poll.

The experience I have had has had much to do whether they were a counsellor or a psychologist as IMO there is a world of difference.. They are not the same thing, one is highly regulated and one is not, one requires a degree and extensive study and one doesn't.

I have seen so many of both, all 'ordered' by TAC /WC and perhaps 10% were excellent, 20% were okay but not awful and the following 70% were a waste of their time and mine.

This does not mean there are not wonderful psychologists and counsellors out there, some of my family have had favourable experiences but my worst was so bad I walked out the front door and wanted to lie on the tram lines.

The experience I have had has had much to do whether they were a counsellor or a psychologist as IMO there is a world of difference.. They are not the same thing, one is highly regulated and one is not, one requires a degree and extensive study and one doesn't

This is true, they are not the same, but non-psychologists can be good. The two best we have experienced are both Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. So they do have a degree (nursing), and further qualifications in mental health, and can prescribe medications (I think there are some restrictions), but they are not psychologists. But very good at what they do. Please don't write off all non-psychologists. (The only counsellor I have experienced was a waste of space though, so they might be less worth gambling on).

The experience I have had has had much to do whether they were a counsellor or a psychologist as IMO there is a world of difference.. They are not the same thing, one is highly regulated and one is not, one requires a degree and extensive study and one doesn't

 

This is true, they are not the same, but non-psychologists can be good. The two best we have experienced are both Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. So they do have a degree (nursing), and further qualifications in mental health, and can prescribe medications (I think there are some restrictions), but they are not psychologists. But very good at what they do. Please don't write off all non-psychologists. (The only counsellor I have experienced was a waste of space though, so they might be less worth gambling on).

I wasn't writing them off, I was talking about how I noticed the difference in how 'I' was treated and for me the difference was obvious. I have not ever been sent to a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner so I can't judge but for prescriptions I saw a few psychiatrists who were equally hit and miss.

Any mental health appointment when you come out feeling worse than you did going in are not the right fit and sadly this was the norm.

Just talking about this now is really triggering. I have never in my life been treated in such an infantile and condescending manner by people who seemed to garner joy from causing maximum discomfort.

There was a thread recently asking about holding grudges, I don't usually, I am forgiving and try so hard to move forward but this is one area where I will never forgive some of the absolute crap that was said to me.

As I also said I have family members who have seen or still see psychologists/counsellors who have found them very helpful.

I voted positive.

But I have had two experiences with a psychologist - one as a couple and one solo. Both for different reasons.

The experience as a couple was very positive.

My solo experience was a complete flop.

I did counselling for a few months several years ago and I never really clicked with my counsellor. I don't think it was completely negative as it was good to get some stuff off my chest and have some of my feelings validated by another person but she seemed to try and drive the sessions her way, if that makes sense. And she got overly fixated on one issue to the point that it took us way too many sessions to really drill down on the underlying issues. She then left the clinic and never sent the follow up letter to my GP that she said she would so they have no record of me actually doing the counselling. I did find it somewhat useful because she made me realise how I get caught up in negative thinking and I can spiral into that. But she kept pushing mindfulness which I wasn't crazy about and didn't really offer any alternatives.