AnonymousCoward Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 Hello everybody, I've been reading your stories and testimonies on this forum for the past couple weeks and one trend I noticed is that many have said that counselling has helped. My question is, how do I find a counsellor? Do I need to find one who is familiar with changing/leaving religions, or will anyone do? My employer seems to have pretty good benefits in the way of counselling and mental health. I looked through their online resources and there seemed to be nothing about changing/leaving religions, which leads me to believe either that it's rare for people to change/leave their religion or that most people do not experience any significant mental pain from doing so. I'm also not sure what to expect from counselling or what I'm supposed to do. Do I need to be depressed? I don't think I'm there yet. I'm definitely still in denial that life is probably going to change and get hard emotionally. This is all very confusing to me. P.S. The "Holy Spirit" keeps bringing Isaiah 9:6 to mind as I write this. Ugh.
Storm Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 As a trained counselor, I can give you some general advice about seeking a counselor. First thing to be aware of is that you need to have a willingness to form a connection to the counselor. You will know within the first couple of visits whether or not you will work well with the counselor or not. It is perfectly normal and ok to not use a specific counselor. Sometimes you will start with one and realize its not working out. Feel free to move to a different one and try again. Work with someone you feel comfortable with. That is important. Secondly, a good counselor will be able to help you regardless of what the counselor believes. Its is their job to help you through your issues, not project their beliefs and ideals upon you. They should be able to look objectively at your life and your situation and help you work through getting to the place where you want to be. I suggest working with a counselor that has training in Motivational Interviewing and that uses cognitive behavioral type counseling techniques. I also recommend getting involved in the treatment planning process. Don't be afraid to ask for the treatment plan, or to make suggestions about things that you want to work towards. Counselors don't know everything. Sometimes they will be learning new things right along side with you. I would stay away from anyone who professes to do any Christian counseling. Most insurance companies will have a good list of available counselors in the network. You don't have to have a recognizable diagnosis to go to counseling, however, for insurance purposes, you may be given a "diagnosis" so they get paid. I wouldn't fret the diagnosis part. Good luck to you . I hope things work you for you in this endeavor.
DrNo Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 I agree with Storm that a good therapist should be able to help no matter their beliefs. Unfortunately, many therapists feel that their faith trumps their ethical responsibility. While not many may impose their beliefs, some might feel unable to work with you or unconsciously try to get you to return to the faith. This site might be of interest to you in terms of finding a secular therapist: http://www.seculartherapy.org/ 1
DrNo Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 By the way, Storm, if you're not already a part of that site I highly encourage you to sign up! I have been a member for a little under a year now and already had 3-4 referrals through them.
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