Mental health awareness has come a long way over the past five years but 43%1 of people in the UK believe there's still a stigma around having counselling and psychotherapy. And one in five (19%)2 of us believe it's self-indulgent to seek counselling or psychotherapy if you don鈥檛 have a serious problem.

Longstanding myths about therapy stop many people from getting the support they need. So here our members share the UK鈥檚 most common misconceptions about therapy,3 and why so many people (who have never tried it) have got the wrong impression鈥�

1. Counselling is only for those with major issues

鈥淐ounselling can be accessed for many different reasons - from career changes and relationship difficulties to self-esteem issues and performance at work,鈥� says Nicola Vanlint. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to help you understand yourself better and can be a form of wellbeing treatment 鈥� like going for a massage or having your hair done.鈥�

鈥淢any of my clients are initially concerned whether their difficulties are 鈥榚nough鈥� to warrant my attention and care,鈥� adds Helen Hazell-English, an online counsellor for mums and mums to be.

鈥淚 think this myth comes from historic ideas that personal distress is a private or family matter. Clients often feel ashamed about reaching out when 鈥榮o many other people have things a lot worse鈥�. I remind my clients that we all suffer. We are social creatures who benefit from warm, supportive, and nurturing relationships. And we heal best with one another.

鈥淵ou don't have to be in crisis. Therapy can be about wanting and expecting more from life. You can have gratitude for all the good things you have going on and yet still feel stuck. And that is 鈥榚nough鈥� of a reason to seek support from a counsellor or therapist.鈥�

2. People think counsellors will give them direct advice and tell them what they need to do

鈥淚t鈥檚 a common misconception but, actually, counsellors do not offer advice,鈥� says private practitioner Anthony Davis. 鈥淚nstead, they support you to develop and help you to formulate solutions to your problems. You are the expert and counsellors just facilitate your journey of exploration and self-discovery.鈥�

鈥淏ut some clients do actively crave advice,鈥� adds Helen. 鈥淧art of my role is to explore that very common human feeling of yearning for an answer or to be rescued. I help people untangle and explore their thoughts and feelings, and to hold a safe and welcoming space to do so. It takes a particular skill to be able to resist the temptation of advice-giving.鈥�

3. Getting help means you鈥檙e weak

鈥淕etting help is the opposite of weakness,鈥� says Anthony. 鈥淚t can be hard to ask for help and it takes significant strength to seek support for your mental health.鈥�

鈥淪tarting work with a counsellor is a courageous act of hope, self-worth and imagination,鈥� adds Helen. 鈥淧eople who go to therapy often want to squeeze more from life and are bravely exploring their inner world.鈥�

4. Counsellors just want to talk about my childhood

鈥淪o, counselling does explore the past and your childhood,鈥� says Anthony. 鈥淏ut it also focuses on the present and current concerns you experience. You will never be forced to discuss your childhood, or any other experience you do not feel comfortable or ready to discuss.鈥�

5. If it doesn鈥檛 work with one, it won鈥檛 work with any counsellor

鈥淚f you unfortunately did not have a good experience with one counsellor, this will not dictate a similar experience with a different counsellor,鈥� says Anthony. 鈥淭he relationship between counsellor and client is paramount for therapy to be effective.鈥�

鈥淟ike in life, there are some people we 鈥榗lick鈥� with others and others we don鈥檛,鈥� adds Nicola. 鈥淢ost therapists offer a free compatibility call to explore whether you are a good fit. And if they don鈥檛 offer this, then feel free to ask them if they can. Remember, it鈥檚 ok to ask.鈥�

6. Counsellors are going to judge me

鈥淵ou will never be judged by your counsellor,鈥� assures Anthony Davis. 鈥淎t the core of counselling is offering a non-judgmental, compassionate, and empathetic environment for clients.鈥�

鈥淛udging others says more about ourselves then the other person. We judge people on our own beliefs and experiences. Counsellors have therapy as part of their training and ongoing personal development. During their training they learn how to be neutral and non-biased,鈥� says Nicola.

7. They can鈥檛 help because they don鈥檛 know me

鈥淣ot knowing clients outside the therapy room is precisely what makes therapy so powerful,鈥� states Helen. 鈥淚 can offer my clients a warm, real relationship but without the bias and power struggles of normal social life when we are naturally very invested in and impacted by what our loved ones do.

鈥淐lients find it a relief that unlike a good friendship they don鈥檛 have to be on sparkling form or consider whether they are burdening me. We can just get on with productively working on their 鈥榮tuff鈥�.鈥�

8. There鈥檚 no end to it, counsellors will keep asking me for more money

鈥淐ounselling is not a never-ending process,鈥� says Anthony. 鈥淭he purpose of engaging in counselling is that eventually you will no longer need it. Therefore, counsellors frame the therapeutic process with the goal of ending with clients once the counsellor and client agree ending is appropriate.鈥�

听

1 香港六合彩精准资料鈥檚 Public Perceptions Survey 2023 - Q3_8. There is a stigma about having counselling or psychotherapy - 43% agree听

2 香港六合彩精准资料鈥檚 Public Perceptions Survey 2023 鈥� Q3_1. It is self-indulgent to seek counselling or psychotherapy if you do not have a serious problem - 19% agree

3 香港六合彩精准资料鈥檚 Mindometer Survey 2022 - most common counselling misconceptions as voted by 香港六合彩精准资料 therapists听