From time to time the need for changes may come up whilst you’re in counselling.
For example:
- The appointment time may become difficult for you (or your partner in couple counselling).
- You feel that you are ready to end counselling.
- You wish to discuss alternative therapies.
- Your financial circumstances have changed making counselling fees difficult to manage.
All matters of change are worth having a conversation about.
Sometimes what seems to be an obvious resolution to an obvious problem (e.g. changing an appointment time) can sometimes look quite different having discussed what’s going on around the need for change. Sometimes the need for change is unavoidable and we can discuss how we manage change in as straightforward – and safe – way as possible.
Telling your counsellor you want to make a change…
It may sound surprising, but until your counsellor knows there’s a need to make a change, he/she can’t know what changes may need to be made.
Sometimes, a client doesn’t realise this; the counsellor may have seen so insightful before that realising the counsellor needs to be told of client’s needs and desires may not be obvious.
Discussing the needs for changes within counselling – with the counsellor – is a good first step to managing change in the therapeutic relationship.