Where to find therapy

LegacyUser

Ive been trying to get adequate therapy for almost 10 years as I feel I have an undiagnosed condition.

Every therapist ive been to bar one has been under qualified and I found them little to no help.

I went to different GP's over the years and also found them useless until I changed GP about 2 years ago, this new doctor referred me to a psychologist, I had to wait 6 months for the appointment but when I went to her I found her brilliant, I was noticing changes in my behavior and over all quality of life coming up to our final session.

Unfortunately I was only given 6 weeks of therapy but she referred me to abuse counselling which she said includes a much longer course of therapy sessions.

I have been waiting almost a year and still havnt been given an appointment. I had my hopes up for so long as from seeing such a difference in myself from the previous therapist who was properly trained and experienced I felt I was finally going to get the help I so badly need.

In the past couple of months I have given up all hope of getting my appointment so started saving to go privately and see a good psychologist in my area, ive managed to save a bit, it meant sacrificing necessities but I feel its important I see someone and in the long run its better for me to make those sacrifices.

Ive been trying to find someone whose properly qualified but I cant find anyone, I have looked up local therapists and their qualifications but every one of them have only completed part time evening courses or a one year hdip in counselling and their charging everything from 50 to 70 euro per session. As I have the money saved, I dont mind paying it but id rather pay to see someone who can help me otherwise im just wasting my time and money.
I previously went to a discount counselor but repeatedly left her sessions feeling worse than when I went in and I really got no where - If anything it set me back further.
I then went to a more expensive counselor but she was no good either, she was retired from her career and seemingly decided counselling was a good way to earn a bit of extra cash in her retirement so completed a hdip in counselling. Again it was a waste of time and money, I was paying her to listen to me, she wasnt working with me to overcome anything.

I dont want to pay someone to talk to or pay them to listen to my problems, I want someone who can work with me to help me overcome these issues, someone who is properly qualified to help me figure out whats going on and how I can improve.

Im at my wits end as this problem I have which has effected me my entire life is currently effecting my job, my relationships and really, every part of my life. I need help, I have no one to talk to as a result of the issues im having and therapy just doesn't seem to be available.

Ive tried all the help lines and mental health charities but they also have not been very good, again they just 'listen' but listening doesn't help me overcome anything.

Where do I go from here?

LegacyUser

A counsellor isn’t a protected term here a psychotherapist probably has a degree or postgraduate masters qualification if not both.

zoobizoo

Why not get back in touch with the person who worked well for You?

I'd advise to seek out psychologists rather than counsellors and therapists.

There is a world of difference as you have c9me to realise .

Expect to pay 70/80 a session.

Faith

As you’ll have found out, there’s a difference between a therapist and a psychologist. Often times “therapists” or “counsellors” have minimal qualifications. You’d probably want to look for either a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, given your experiences and preferences. The Paychological Society of Ireland (PSI) website can be a good place to start - they’ll have a list of all psychologists that are registered with them.

I’m really glad to hear you had a positive experience, but very sorry to hear about the short time frame and ridiculous waiting lists . I hope you can find the help you’d like soon.

ChrissieH

There probably are plenty of people working in this area who are not properly qualified, but if you check the IACP or the IAHIP websites, they have listings of registered (= qualified to Degree level + experienced) counsellors but yes, if you are looking for someone to take an active role in advising you about your life, then that's not usually a counsellor's role, so it sounds like you're looking for something different and whether a psychologist is going to fit the bill either, I don't know.

You didn't say if the abuse you experienced was sexual, but if it was, you can always go to a Rape Crisis Centre and speak to their purpose-trained counsellors there, or if the reason you're waiting so long for your appointment is because you've been referred to the HSE National Counselling Service, can you phone them to ask what the story is with the waiting list?

I agree with the other posters here about going back to the psychologist that you found helpful, can you ring them to ask what their fees are for private clients?

With therapy, people very often do feel worse before the feel better, so just because you came away from other sessions feeling worse, doesn't necessarily mean that the therapists were not good.. it's pretty normal to feel bad if you've been revisiting painful memories from you past, the whole point of continuing in therapy is that you have the support you need to get through the hard time and come out the other side, so chopping and changing therapists, or just discontinuing therapy abruptly is possibly contributing to your negative feelings about it all. It's like going to a Crossfit Class once and waking up the next day with aching muscles and thinking that that's how it's always going to be.

antix80

Notherapy wrote: »

Where do I go from here?

It sounds like you expect an awful lot from other people. I think this might be part of the problem. No one can "fix" you.

Even that brilliant psychologist may not seem so brilliant after the first 6-8 weeks when the new outlook she offered you stops working.

I liked a book called "The Power of Now". Available on Amazon for Kindle and I'd suggest getting the audible upgrade so you can listen to it through your phone or in the car. Just a low-cost idea while you pursue more therapy.

zoobizoo

antix80 wrote: »

It sounds like you expect an awful lot from other people. I think this might be part of the problem. No one can "fix" you.

.

If one is paying for a professional service, they can expect to get a decent service.

The OP isn't asking to be fixed - they are looking for professional help and from us they are asking for advice.

Vela

What you need to look for is a Counselling Psychologist. Mods is it ok to recommend someone here?