Counselling, also referred to as person-centred experiential therapy (PCET), explores feelings and emotions to aid recovery. PCET, or counselling, in Doncaster aims to help people suffering from depression by exploring their feelings and how those feelings impact on thoughts and behaviour.
PCET is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a talking therapy for people with depression. It’s an ‘evidence-based’ therapy, which means that research has shown that this kind of therapy works.
How does it work?
PCET focuses on the feelings that you have, allowing you to explore and make more sense of them. You will also be able to better understand the impact that those feelings are having on your life.
Our counsellors in Doncaster help you see how feelings can link to things like low self-esteem and excessive self-criticism, both of which can keep depression going. This therapy will enable you to learn things about yourself that you can then reflect on, leading you to make some positive changes to the way you think and behave.
PCET can help if you feel ‘stuck’ in your depression or perhaps if you are struggling to come to terms with a life event such as a loss, bereavement or illness.
PCET in Doncaster aims to:
- help you to recover from depression
- help you gain a greater awareness of your feelings and their impact on you
- help you gain greater understanding of the difficulties that you are experiencing
- give you greater confidence about the future
- make changes to the way that you think and behave
What does person-centred experiential therapy involve?
Everyone’s therapy will be a bit different. With your counsellor, you will explore your difficulties and focus on the underlying feelings they provoke.
This will involve experiencing emotions, including some you may not have experienced before. You will be given the time and space needed to make sense of these.
What can you expect of your counsellor?
In Doncaster, your counsellor will offer regular appointments. They will ensure that you have a confidential place to hold your session. This could be face to face, on the telephone, or by video appointments. Your counsellor will listen and help you to make sense of your feelings without judging you.
Your counsellor will help you to understand more about how your depression affects you. They will work with you to explore your emotions to a greater depth and support you as you start to notice different feelings emerging, plus new ways of thinking and behaving.
Your counsellor understands that during the sessions you may experience a range of different emotions. They will support you to explore these further. Your counsellor will aim to provide an environment where you feel safe enough to do this.
How long will my treatment take?
The length of therapy can differ slightly from person to person, but you can expect to have around 8-12 sessions. Some people may be offered up to 20 sessions. Each session will be up to 50 minutes in length.
PCET requires a certain amount of commitment and sessions will generally take place weekly. If you have any concerns about being able to commit to the sessions, you can discuss these with your counsellor. It’s a good idea to do this at or before your first session.
Your counsellor will work towards the ending of therapy with you, aiming for this to feel like a natural process. At the end of the therapy, you may feel that some areas of your life still need further work. This is normal.
PCET can lead you to a better understanding of yourself and this new level of self-awareness can help you to continue working on any difficulties without the need for regular counselling appointments.