Counselling

Does anyone here do additional counselling on top of the Slimming World classes.

Looking at going to my GP and asking for CBT. Started to identify I have a problem of binge and emotional eating which I don't feel Image Therapy is going to address properly.

If you are you don't have to into details, just want to know if you feel you have benefitted from it. Two of my closest friends who both suffer from depression are asking my to go and get counselling.

I am not in counselling now, but I have done a course of CBT. I would have done 2 courses of CBT but the therapist decided my life was too much of a mess and told me to come back when I had sorted myself out a bit.

It is very good at making you recognise and focus on the cycles of behaviour we find ourselves rotating through, and gives you the technique to break those cycles.

FE - you feel bad, you comfort eat, you put on weight, you feel bad, you comfort eat, you put on weight, etc etc etc...

The programme teaches you how to recognise when you are on a cycle, and how to pull yourself up and get off it.

There are two major pitfalls, IMO. One is that the courses are for a fixed term. While you are being "supervised" by the counsellor, you are constantly aware of the fact that you should be on guard for signs of the behaviour and working on breaking the habits. However, once you end the course, you are on your own, and real life starts to seep back in, and it is perfectly possible to end up exactly back where you started when you dont have something regularly making you keep the focus.

Unfortunately, thats part and parcel of the therapy. Firstly because resources are not endless, and secondly because at some point you do need to cope on your own.

The other pitfall, is that you start to work on stuff because you want to please the counsellor by making progress. You cant then transfer those skills beyond the course, because you dont have the counsellor seeing you regularly, so that you can get the "reward" of being able to report positive results. You need to be absolutely sure that you are working on the issues you want to address FOR YOU and no-one else. The reward needs to be that you achieve your goal, not for anyone else, but for you. It is not easy, particularly when you are by nature a people pleaser. This was particularly difficult for me, because my self-esteem has always tended to sit in other peoples hands. If they dont like me or what I am doing, I take it way too personally and feel horrendous, worthless, and as though I have failed.

Heh, I even failed at CBT! That was a proper kick in the ovaries, I can tell you!

Anyway, enough of the negatives. You know what you want to seek help with, and you know that you need to get some support to do it. If you take everything I have said in to account and you think it could help you, then it WILL help you.

Also bear in mind, that if you intend to do this through the NHS, the waiting lists can be horrendous. In the first instance, I waited 3 years. Going privately of course can cut the queue to nothing, but most people dont have the sort of funds that allows for private therapy.

I hope this is of some help. Please feel free to ask me anything you want, to the best of my ability I will answer.

Hiya Mr Gilbo

I'm not a BACP counsellor , however I do work as a drug & alcohol counsellor and have undergone several different CBT training courses within my job.

We use CBT all the time as an intervention when supporting clients with drug & alcohol issues and if you don't mind reading I would really recommend this book as a good intro to CBT. Don't take any notice of the "for dummies" bit as it really is a good read IMO.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dummies: Amazon.co.uk: Rob Willson, Rhena Branch: Books


Isis x

Thanks for your replies. I will definitely check out the book. Going to see my docs this week as I may have osteoarthritis in my big toes, so will ask then.

I am in the best frame of mind for dieting in 7 years. Just worried that I may fall off the wagon at some points. I lost 7st before and thought I was doing fine got injured training for the great south run and just stopped and started binging again. It's something I don't want to go back too!

Hi,

I'm currently having counselling as I have a mum with terminal cancer & a mother in law who is an anorexic alcoholic who think life is perfectly normal. It has really helped me look at life differently & my husband & my close friends say they can see the change. I still have bad days but less than I did. I am very lucky that my work pay for my sessions. They paid for a batch of 7 at first & it's my last one of them tomorrow but I have asked for them to be extended as my MIL is a very controlling part of my life & the last few weeks have been particularly hard with her. My mum on the other had has a rare type of cancer so they said there was know chance of a cure so she has embraced life & is currently on a road trip with my step dad in Scotland! Cos I feel better about myself I don't feel the need to eat rubbish all the time but I still take the scenic route
I am big believer in counselling & I know there is a big wait on the NHS so if you can have a look at your work wellbeing policy (if there is one). My work knows that someone is having counselling but they don't know who as you arrange it all yourself & you are just a number as far as the HR department are concerned (ie your name isn't sent to anyone). My boss does know but I class her as a friend.

Not sure if any of that helps but just wanted to share

Thanks maypole. It does seem the waiting list is long onthe nhs. A friend of mine cut her wrists last October, and she was on a list for a couple of months!!

Mr Gilbo said:

Thanks maypole. It does seem the waiting list is long onthe nhs. A friend of mine cut her wrists last October, and she was on a list for a couple of months!!

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MIL was referred in Jan but only after our pleading with her GP who is totally useless who told her it's ok to drink (she drinks a large bottle of rum most nights) & says she is still waiting but she lies so much about everything that we don't exactly believe her as she often lies about lots of stuff or just cancels everything all the time people. She has now agreed to go for private counselling so will have to see. Sorry I have ranted but today am a bad day