Relationships, at some stage or another, inevitably hit a rough patch. When this happens, often the natural defence is to give up and walk away. And sometimes, this is the best option. Or sometimes it’s easier to try and brush the problems under the carpet and ignore them for as long as possible. And occasionally, ideally, a couple is able to sit down, talk things through calmly and rationally and reach a mutually agreeable solution.
Relationship counselling, however, can make reaching the solution an easier and more fruitful process. A professional counsellor offers an outside perspective and an ability to understand the wants and needs to both parties to help a couple move forwards together.
Taking the initial step to decide to see a counsellor is a difficult one – people often feel they are admitting defeat, or are too proud to look for help. But once the initial decision has been made, there’s a new set of questions to consider. As in a relationship, it’s important that the couple and the counsellor are right for each other, in order to progress.
There are many factors that contribute to this, practical and otherwise. On the practical front, things like location and logistics are important. Many people who undertake counselling often prefer to see someone slightly out of town, as they are afraid they might run into someone they know. But conversely, the setting for the counselling needs to be comfortable and familiar – arriving for a counselling session flustered because it was in a unfamiliar area will not give the best results.
Money is another practical issue. Many counsellors offer reduced rates to the unemployed, but it can be hard to find out such details, especially as many people are uncomfortable discussing money, and no one wants to be bartering on what price to put on their relationship.
It’s also important to make sure the counsellor has the relevant qualifications – there are many academic qualifications in counselling. Counsellors can also register with professional bodies and be accredited by them.
Luckily, there is a website that answers all of these questions in one go. http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/ is a comprehensive searching tool, allowing location searches, and producing a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees. The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.
Having a resource likes this makes helps reduce the stress in an already difficult situation, and hopefully makes the first step towards a better relationship an easier one.