Psychological counsellor
What is psychological counselling?
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Psychological counselling is a method for the personal processing and overcoming of emotional and social crises and problems outside the field of medicine. This means that it is not like the psychotherapy for the alleviation and cure of disorders with disease value, but an aid and solution-oriented support for mentally healthy people with specific life problems.
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As part of a psychological consultation together with the advice seeker, difficult life situations are observed in order to find adequate solutions to conflicts and crises.
What does a psychological consultation do?
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Psychological counselling is a branch of counselling psychology, and we work with scientifically backed up methods from psychology and psychotherapy, which are used to show those seeking advice ways to improve, change and manage stressful lives independently and autonomously, and the counselling process assumes the function of Orientation assistance, detection and reactivation of existing psychosocial resources.
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The general aim of the psychological counselling is the help for self-help, the exposure of existing resources and the identification, reduction and overcoming of the disturbing factors, finding ways out of the crisis, correcting insufficient or unusable problem-solving attempts and to discover and apply untapped potentials.
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It serves to solve psychological crises and problems as well as to improve the quality of life. The self-responsibility of the person to be counselled is respected and promoted.
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So, with the help of psychological counselling based on the motto "You carry your solution in you", sustainable and solution-oriented habits can be promoted and consolidated.
What's the procedure for psychological counselling?
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As a rule, the first session or the first conversation serves as orientation. Here you have the opportunity to check whether you feel comfortable with the consultant and want to work with her.
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The duration of the consultation depends on your concern and the problem to be solved. Psychological counselling always adapts to the circumstances and needs of the person seeking advice. Often a consultation is enough to get clarity.
Themes:
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These include life coaching, spiritual -, vocational -, study -, educational -, marriage -, partnership -, conflict counselling and, if necessary, counselling regarding the possibilities and planning of psychotherapy (psychoeducation).
Advice on personal problems and crises when you, for example:
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worry a lot or are afraid about something,
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feel completely overwhelmed by work, housework, partner or family,
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are increasingly intolerant, more irritable and more aggressive towards others,
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have lost your zest for life and your courage,
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as a migrant, suffer from isolation,
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have no one with whom you can talk about your problems,
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when talking to friends, they realize that they will not help you,
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you need assistance in dealing with special situations,
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when you are in a process of change and have to adapt to it,
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in the resolution of conflicts in the family, professional or social environment
The task of the consultant:
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It's not about giving advice, because advice always comes from the very individual view of the advisor. Rather, it is about the advice seeker finding his/her own solutions, suitable for him/herself and his/her subjective world, or developing and then implementing them him/herself. Supporting and accompanying this process is the task of a Psychological Advisor.
Remember:
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Psychological counselling is to be distinguished from psychotherapy, which helps to cure or alleviate mental health problems; Psychotherapy is thus an activity in the field of medicine. Psychological counselling has its legal basis in Art. 6 of the Basic Law and is regulated in detail by numerous laws (eg Child and Youth Welfare Act and Pregnancy and Family Assistance Act).
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In Germany, "psychological activities which deal with the processing and overcoming of social conflicts or other purposes outside medical science" are not part of psychotherapy, according to § 1 (3) sentence 3 of the Psychotherapists Act.
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If your problems may be caused by a mental or organic illness, you will be advised to seek the advice of an appropriate medical specialist in addition to counselling, or you will be referred to a social psychiatric service or psychotherapist further directed.
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Psychological counselling does not treat a psychological disorder.
