BARNET COUNSELLING ASSOCIATION
The Association of Primary Care Counsellors in Barnet
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Frequently asked questions about GP counselling in Barnet
Where can I find a counsellor? Where can I find a counsellor?Most GP practices in Barnet have counsellors who work part time at the practice. You can ask your GP to refer you to a counsellor in the practice. GPs who do not have a counsellor may refer you to outside counsellors or organisations. What is available on the NHS will very a great deal from place to place. Top What sort of counselling will be offered, and how will it help me?Counsellors have different types of training so their approach and way of working will vary. If you are interested in knowing what sort of counselling is on offer you can ask the counsellor to explain it to you. It has been proved that how you get on with the individual counsellor is more important than the type of counselling. If you and the counsellor can work well together, trust and respect each other, it is more likely to help you. Counselling can support you through difficult times throughout your life. It can help you improve your relationships or deal with life changing situations like depression, loss or coping with a disability. The way you experience problems in your life may make you feel ill and under stress. Top Is there a long waiting list?Most surgeries have a waiting list and sometimes you may have to wait for a few months before you are offered an appointment. Top Can I choose the counsellor I want to see?You will be offered an appointment with the counsellor in your surgery. If you are unhappy with the person you have seen you can request to see another counsellor depending on whether there is more than one counsellor in your practice. Top How much does it cost?Counselling on the NHS is free Top How long do the sessions last?Sessions usually last 50 minutes Top How many times will I need to see the counsellor?Most NHS counselling is short term. Practices differ in the number of counselling sessions they offer but it is usually around 8 to 12. Top When will I start to feel better?Some people feel better even after the first session. Others find it takes time to feel the benefit and may not even realise there has been any benefit until they stop going to see the counsellor and compare how they were before the counselling started. Every one is individual and the amount of benefit you receive from your sessions is very personal. Top Can I contact the counsellor between sessions if I need to?It is not usually the practice of counsellors in the NHS to have contact with their patients between sessions. If you have a crisis you can contact your surgery who may then pass your message on to the counsellor for you. Top What training has the counsellor had, and how long have they been practising?All counsellors in the GP surgeries are qualified professionals and are accredited with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy or an equivalent professional organisation. Most counsellors who work in a surgery have had many years of practice. Top Have they had experience working with people with similar problems to mine?Counsellors will have worked with many people from all walks of life and have come across a very wide range of problems. If you are worried that your particular problem has not been understood, you can talk to the counsellor about this or go back to your GP for referral elsewhere. Top Is counselling confidential? When might confidentiality be broken?You may be worried that you could be labelled as mentally ill in your medical records if you see a counsellor, or that information may be passed to a future employer in a medical reference. Counsellors who work for the NHS have a duty to keep personal information about you confidential. They will keep their own records and may share basic information with your GP and any other NHS professionals involved in your care. They should ask your permission before giving information to anyone outside the NHS. A counsellor will break confidentiality very rarely, usually only if, for example, a child is at risk or if there is immediate danger to yourself or others. All Barnet Counselling Association counsellors are professionally bound to abide by the Code of Practice of their accrediting body. Top In what circumstances might they refer me to another professional?During your first session you and your counsellor will try to find out what your needs are. Sometimes counselling may not be appropriate for you and you may agree that you would prefer psychotherapy or another form of counselling such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy which can be found elsewhere. Your counsellor will try to help you access these other types of therapy. After your short term counselling at the surgery has ended you may wish to continue counselling somewhere else. Your counsellor should be able to provide you with some names of counsellors and local organisations that offer longer term counselling. There are also voluntary bodies, groups and organisations for specific problems such as eating disorders, or other difficulties affecting you and those around you. Top |