Individual Counselling

The World Health Organisation estimates that close to a billion people globally struggle with mental health concerns. People seek various forms of treatment for these disorders, and some may even self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms. However, there are forms of treatment that are not as self-destructive. One of the most common forms of treatment is individual counselling.

What is Individual Counselling?

Individual counselling is a form of treatment in which a person meets with a counsellor one-on-one. These confidential sessions offer a patient a safe space to delve into the underlying causes of their distress.

In one-to-one counselling, patients receive expert guidance to help them explore and understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. It can help people with a diverse range of issues. It is often used in conjunction with group counselling sessions in a treatment programme.

Is Online Therapy Effective?

While individual counselling is often associated with going to a therapist’s office and talking to them while sitting on a couch, there are cases wherein a person cannot go to a medical facility for psychotherapy. They may be disabled, they may live far away from facilities, or they may be so anxious that they can’t leave the house.

In cases like that, they may have to see a counsellor online. But is online therapy effective? Research indicates that it can be just as effective as in-person sessions.

Modalities Used in Sessions

Several modalities can be used in one-on-one therapy to help address a patient’s concerns. These modalities include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a versatile modality that can help treat a variety of conditions. This treatment approach can help a person identify and address the negative thought patterns or cognitive distortions that contribute to their behaviour. It can also help people replace their negative beliefs with healthier ones.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

DBT is another form of treatment that can be used to help people. An offshoot of CBT, DBT was originally developed to treat Borderline Personality Disorder. It is a treatment modality that helps learn how to manage strong emotions healthily. 

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EMDR is another therapy that can be used in individual counselling sessions specifically for trauma. In this type of therapy, a therapist uses bilateral stimulation to replicate the REM phase of sleep while a patient recalls a traumatic memory. This helps process the memory, which can lessen its emotional impact on a person.

What Can Counselling Services Help With?

Individual counselling can help a person achieve personal growth. However, it has various clinical applications and can treat various conditions. These include:

 Substance Use Disorders

A substance use disorder is when a person develops an addiction to a substance and takes it regardless of any negative consequences that they may face. Individual counselling can offer them a safe space to explore the causes of their addiction and learn how to cope with their cravings.

Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disorders can be debilitating. Disorders such as anxiety and depression can have symptoms that can affect a person’s life. Many can find themselves unable to connect with others or even leave the house as a result of their symptoms. Individual therapy can help a person learn how to better cope with their symptoms.

Eating Disorders

Humans need to eat, but some people may have disordered eating patterns. They may eat compulsively or not at all, and some may intentionally purge after they eat. Individual therapy can help someone reframe their relationship with food so they can eat the food that their body needs to function.

Process Addictions

Process addictions are when a person develops an addiction to a certain behaviour, such as gambling, shopping, or sex. Similar to substance addictions, one-on-one therapy can help a person explore the underlying causes of their addiction and develop healthy coping skills to control their urges. 

Advantages of Individual Therapy

Individual therapy can have several advantages and can help patients in a myriad of ways. Some of the advantages of individual counselling sessions include:

Undivided Attention

One of the biggest advantages of one-to-one therapy is that a person gets a therapist’s undivided attention. This relative intimacy can make it much easier for a person to open up about their struggles. The therapeutic relationship is vital in the treatment process. For people uncomfortable in groups, this provides a more accessible path to therapy.

Customised Treatment

Building on the above, having the undivided attention of a counsellor also makes it easier for them to customise a treatment plan based on the patient’s individual needs. This is essential as many people seeking counselling often have more than one concern that must be addressed.

Improved Communication Skills

Managing relationships by setting boundaries and actively working to improve communication skills is a major facet of many treatment programmes. Talking to a therapist can also help patients improve their communication skills.

What to Expect in Therapy Sessions

A patient can expect a number of things in a therapy session. It will be a completely confidential environment, and patients will also be expected to actively participate to facilitate open and honest communication, which is needed to help them work towards their recovery goals.

Patients should also understand that the recovery process may take a while. One individual counselling session may not be enough to overcome a person’s concerns, and they may have to attend multiple sessions before they see any progress. 

Individual Counselling Can Help You With Your Concerns

At PROMIS, we employ various approaches to help address various concerns. Individual counselling is one way that we help our clients achieve their recovery goals. If you have any concerns regarding addiction, disordered eating, or mental health, then we can offer a path to recovery. Beginning your recovery journey won’t take more than a phone call or an email.