psychotherapy as the path

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 12:23 pm

Hi, it's my first time here, I hope ye are doing well.

Straight to the point. I've had an interest in psychology in general since before I graduated from school. I'm in my late twenties now, and this interest has become an obsessing passion. I have considered few different paths and I'm beginning to settle on psychotherapy, primarily because, as clichéd as it may sound, I want to help people achieve change in meaningful ways. I'm looking at starting this course in September, yet, frankly, I wish I qualified yesterday. The desire to become a competent psychotherapist is only intensifying with every passing day, it's not fading away like some other interests I have picked up along the way, and so I've reached the stage where I'm convinced psychology is the way forward for me.

I am wondering, and I suppose it depends on individuality, but in general, what is it like to be a psychotherapist? What is the experience of being in a session with a client? What does it take to be an excellent psychotherapist that one doesn't learn from books and in lectures? What are the things you didn't realise were part of the proffesion, until you started practising? Anything else you may consider relevant is most welcome.

Thank you for reading this post, dying to hear from you.

**Posts:** 579 · by **FondofFondu** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:10 pm

Though not a psychotherapist, one of the best things you can do is listen to your client, try not to trivialise a persons experiences, take time to reflect and use experience as learning (Donald Schon) as you progress. Also be mindful of the supposed clarity of advice that exists, there is a lot of bad info out there as well as good and as an impartial practioner the ability to see through what is legit and what isn't will put you in good stead for your future practice. Also remember to have fun, as a professional it is important to remember that you're human and have needs like everyone else.

I hope this may serve as a packed lunch for the first stage of your journey..on the way there will be many who will help.

best wishes and good luck.

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:50 pm

Thank you so much for the tips!

**Posts:** 2122 · by **Herbie306** » Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:29 pm

WonderGurl wrote:to become a competent psychotherapist

I've reached the stage where I'm convinced psychology is the way forward for me.

Hi,
Which are you wanting to study, psychotherapy or Psychology?

**Posts:** 579 · by **FondofFondu** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 11:58 pm

Thanks but no to the above sorry to watse your time and do not requiere these services.

Though not a psychotherapist, one of the best things you can do is listen to your client, try not to trivialise a persons experiences, take time to reflect and use experience as learning (Donald Schon) as you progress. Also be mindful of the supposed clarity of advice that exists, there is a lot of bad info out there as well as good and as an impartial practitioner the ability to see through what is legit and what isn't will put you in good stead for your future practice. Also remember to have fun, as a professional it is important to remember that you're human and have needs like everyone else.

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 1:56 pm

FondofFondu wrote:Thanks but no to the above sorry to watse your time and do not requiere these services.

Though not a psychotherapist, one of the best things you can do is listen to your client, try not to trivialise a persons experiences, take time to reflect and use experience as learning (Donald Schon) as you progress. Also be mindful of the supposed clarity of advice that exists, there is a lot of bad info out there as well as good and as an impartial practitioner the ability to see through what is legit and what isn't will put you in good stead for your future practice. Also remember to have fun, as a professional it is important to remember that you're human and have needs like everyone else.

I don't get it.

**Posts:** 52 · by **pljames** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 12:19 am

When I got depressed or angry and out of control I knew I need mental health. After telling my counselor why I was having these depressions or anger episodes, they would tell me to accept it because it was my fault. I then became defensive and refused to accept it as my fault, it was always there fault. Later in my life I begin to realize it was my fault and took responsibility for it. Why do we do that? Not wanting to take responsibility for our anger or depression? Paul

**Posts:** 579 · by **FondofFondu** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 7:48 am

Hi wondergurl..there was some annoying spammers a few days back going on about earning money or some rubbish so i responded then the spam got deleted :oops:

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:35 pm

pljames wrote:When I got depressed or angry and out of control I knew I need mental health. After telling my counselor why I was having these depressions or anger episodes, they would tell me to accept it because it was my fault. I then became defensive and refused to accept it as my fault, it was always there fault. Later in my life I begin to realize it was my fault and took responsibility for it. Why do we do that? Not wanting to take responsibility for our anger or depression? Paul

Is it like a rhetorical question or?.. Not sure I get it? :oops:

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:36 pm

FondofFondu wrote:Hi wondergurl..there was some annoying spammers a few days back going on about earning money or some rubbish so i responded then the spam got deleted

How did it get in here tho I wonder?

**Posts:** 52 · by **pljames** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:52 pm

WonderGurl wrote:
pljames wrote:When I got depressed or angry and out of control I knew I need mental health. After telling my counselor why I was having these depressions or anger episodes, they would tell me to accept it because it was my fault. I then became defensive and refused to accept it as my fault, it was always there fault. Later in my life I begin to realize it was my fault and took responsibility for it. [b]Why do we do that? Not wanting to take responsibility for our anger or depression? Paul[/b]

Is it like a rhetorical question or?.. Not sure I get it?

**Posts:** 52 · by **pljames** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:54 pm

The underline is a question? Paul

**Posts:** 52 · by **pljames** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:57 pm

WonderGurl wrote:
pljames wrote:When I got depressed or angry and out of control I knew I need mental health. After telling my counselor why I was having these depressions or anger episodes, they would tell me to accept it because it was my fault. I then became defensive and refused to accept it as my fault, it was always there fault. Later in my life I begin to realize it was my fault and took responsibility for it. Why do we do that not wanting to take responsibility for our anger or depression? Paul

Is it like a rhetorical question or?.. Not sure I get it?

Why do we do that not wanting to take responsibility for our anger or depression? It;s a question. Paul

**Posts:** 2008 · by **WonderGurl** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:30 am

Oh, I see now

I think it could be because the original cause for our anger and depression could be stemming from actions of others towards us, depending on circumstances of course, and it is reasonable to feel wronged by those that contributed to the set of events that led us to feel anger and depression.

However as time goes by, the healthy way to cope with any issue as an adult becomes taking our power back from those people or circumstances that have affected us in negative ways... by taking personal responsibility in how we feel. In that anger and depression is OUR reaction, it belongs to US and only WE have the power and are capable of recognising resources within us to change the way we feel. Shifting responsibility onto others for OUR anger and depression deprives us of personal power to work towards letting go of anger and dealing with depression.

I believe that there's a vast difference between not wanting to take responsibility and not taking responsibility for those feelings. But either way, blaming others for our feelings is a way that allows us to stay in the victim mode.

I think in a nut shell not wanting to take responsibility for our feelings is simply a learned way of coping...that once recognised can be changed by us (with the help of other capable people) into a healthier way of coping.

Or something along those lines... :wink:

**Posts:** 54 · by **Robert Plamondon** » Sun May 04, 2014 10:41 pm

WonderGurl wrote:Hi, it's my first time here, I hope ye are doing well.

Straight to the point. I've had an interest in psychology in general since before I graduated from school. I'm in my late twenties now, and this interest has become an obsessing passion. I have considered few different paths and I'm beginning to settle on psychotherapy, primarily because, as clichéd as it may sound, I want to help people achieve change in meaningful ways. I'm looking at starting this course in September, yet, frankly, I wish I qualified yesterday. The desire to become a competent psychotherapist is only intensifying with every passing day, it's not fading away like some other interests I have picked up along the way, and so I've reached the stage where I'm convinced psychology is the way forward for me.

I am wondering, and I suppose it depends on individuality, but in general, what is it like to be a psychotherapist? What is the experience of being in a session with a client? What does it take to be an excellent psychotherapist that one doesn't learn from books and in lectures? What are the things you didn't realise were part of the proffesion, until you started practising? Anything else you may consider relevant is most welcome.

Thank you for reading this post, dying to hear from you.

What's a session like? Well, I'm a hypnotherapist, not a counselor or psychologist. Most of the counselors and psychologists I've run into look pretty sad and depressed. The really good ones are having a good time, though. All in all, my impression is that most programs in the U.S. are turning out graduates that have been poorly trained, are unprepared to help their clients very much, and know it.

On the other hand, I've been very impressed by the coursework in clinical hypnosis by Cal Banyan and Gerry Kein, and the NLP Master Practioner coursework by Tad James and Chris Howard among others. I've taken all of these via video and audio programs, plus a Hypnotherapy/NLP Practitioner course from Apositiva Institute here in Oregon. (I've also heard excellent things about Somatic Experiencing but haven't looked into it myself.)

The coolest thing about a hypnotherapy session is that clients rarely leave feeling worse than they did when they arrived, and often vastly better. It's cool to always be working from the assumption that the clients already have the resources they need to resolve their problems, and need only a limited amount of assistance -- as if they have a perfectly serviceable car that will be fine once it's pulled out of the ditch, maybe has a flat tire replaced by a spare that they'd forgotten they have -- plus a few directions on how to find the main road.

Hypnotherapy can be pretty intense, but my clients only go through about one box of Kleenex a year. I find it interesting and rewarding. And fun. And sometimes frustrating and always fascinating.

My current advice to people thinking about a career in counseling or psychology is to recommend a three-step program (reverse the order of steps 1 and 2 if step 1 seems intimidating).

1. Take a super-serious course in hypnotherapy. (In my opinion, it's super-serious if it you're expected to get clients into a somnambulistic trance and to use affect-bridge age regression with most clients.) I've taken Cal Banyan's video course and recommend it. In places where you can set up shop as a hypnotist without a billion years of other training and certification, such training will leave you ready and able to start helping people without further ado, finance the rest of your training, and give you the advantage of knowing for certain that you CAN help people -- because you are.

2. Take a good NLP Master Practitioner course. I've taken Christopher Howard's audio course and recommend it. Though not its stated purpose, the Master Practitioner course bridges the gap between hypnotherapy and more conventional talk therapy in many ways, preparing you to work both sides of the street.

3. Take university coursework that will end up up with the degrees and certifications needed to hang out your shingle as a counselor or psychologist.

Hope this helps!

Robert

psychotherapy as the path

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

Main Menu

Therapy Practitioner Resources

Recent posts

Active topics

Contact Us