The Counselling Sessions: Overcoming Low Mood and Depression

By Louise Palmer

This book is based on real-life counselling sessions. The themes are based on real events that occurred during counselling sessions with various clients who were suffering with low mood or depression.

The book shows a scripted conversation between counsellor and client over five counselling sessions. There are also counsellor notes throughout each session to help the reader understand why the counsellor asked particular questions or responded in a certain way.

The therapy used is called 'Solution Focused Therapy'. It is a brief therapy that is designed to focus on the resources of the client. It focuses on strengths and aims to help the client become aware of their own solutions through a specific set of questions. It encourages the client to think about the future and only uses the past as a means to identify what works and does not work for the client.

About the Author
Louise Palmer is a Psychologist and Solution Focused Therapist who has worked in the psychological field for over 10 years. She has delivered solution focused therapy sessions to a wide range of clients who have had various concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, eating disorders, relationship problems, health problems and addictions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Louise Palmer
• Release date: Feb 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310863653

Book preview

The Counselling Sessions

Overcoming Low Mood and Depression

By Louise Palmer

Copyright © 2015 by Louise Palmer.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Contents

Introduction

Session One

Session Two

Session Three

Session Four

Session Five

Introduction

This book is based on real-life counselling sessions. The themes are based on real events that occurred during counselling sessions with various clients.

The therapy used is called 'Solution Focused Therapy'. It is a brief therapy that is designed to focus on the resources of the client. It focuses on strengths and aims to help the client become aware of their own solutions through a specific set of questions. It encourages the client to think about the future and only uses the past as a means to identify what works and does not work for the client.

Session One

(The first session is aimed at finding out about the client's concerns, and finding out what has helped and what has not helped so far. I want to keep a focus on what has worked so far in the hope of keeping the session positive and solution focused. I had a brief telephone call with the client a week before the session to ask him to notice if there were any positive changes. Many clients, when asked to notice positive changes, can identify at least a few. As the client has started to achieve positive change before the counsellor gets involved, it can increase his confidence and help him to appreciate he was already making positive changes before seeking help.)

Counsellor: Hi, I'm Louise. You must be Max.

Client: Yes, hi.

Counsellor: Hi, please come in. We are at the room at the top of the stairs.

Both go to the counselling room and sit down.

Counsellor: So, I would like to start by telling you a little bit about what will happen during the session.

Client: Okay.

(I want to explain to the client the solution focused approach. I need to get his buy in, in order for the sessions to be effective. I need to set his expectations at the start.)

Counsellor: I think it's important for me to grasp what your concerns are and how you would like things to be different. My belief is that you have a lot of strengths and skills that will help you overcome the difficulties you are facing. Part of my role is to listen out for these and ask you questions about them. I believe that we can learn a lot from what is working well in our lives and I hope that we can spend time discussing this. I won't be advising you on what you should and shouldn't do. Instead I want to work with you to develop solutions together.

Client: Okay.

Counsellor: You will notice that I will make notes during the session. I am not 'analysing' you. I am just making notes to aid my memory. At the end of the session I would like to summarise what we have covered. Is this all okay with you so far?

Client: Yes, fine.

Counsellor: So we spoke briefly on the telephone last week regarding your concerns. Could you tell me a little bit more about what is concerning you?

Client: That's the problem really. I don't know. I just feel down all the time.

Counsellor: What would you like to feel instead?

(It's important that the goal is worded positively rather than negatively. I want to know what the client wants rather than what he doesn't want.)

Client: Happy. Actually it doesn't even have to be happy, to be content. To not feel in a mood all the time.

Counsellor. So you would like to feel content, happier and generally in a better mood.

Client: Yes. I know I can't feel happy all the time, but if I could feel happy most of the time that would be good.

Counsellor: I think it's good that you are being realistic about your goal.

Client: I just want to be like everybody else.

Counsellor: Okay. When I spoke to you on the phone last week I asked you if you could notice any positive changes that occurred before we met.

Client: Yes I remember.

Counsellor: Did you notice any positive changes that you would like to see continue?

Client: No, not really.

(Occasionally clients are unable to recognise any positive changes as they are focusing on the negative. Sometimes these positive changes become apparent during the session, sometimes they do not.)

Counsellor: Okay. What have you tried so far in order to make yourself feel in a better mood?

Client: Hmm...I don't know.

(Clients have often tried to solve their own problems a number of times. It can be a useful starting point to know what they have already tried in order to learn from this. I am using silence in this case in the hope that the silence will make the client open up a little more.)

Silence.

Client: I have had counselling before.

Counsellor: Right.

Client: It didn't work though. I still felt miserable.

Counsellor: In relation to the counselling you received previously, what helped and what did not help?

(Even if the counselling didn't help overall, there might still be elements which did work.)

Client: I just felt like I didn't get anywhere. We talked a lot but I felt like I was just going round in circles.

Counsellor: Did you find anything useful?

Client: No, not really. She said to do more of what I enjoy. I did try that for a bit and it did make me feel a little happier but then I stopped doing it. So it couldn't have been making me feel that much happier otherwise I would have carried on.

Counsellor: So, in the free time that you have, what do you like to do?

Client: Nothing really. I tend to just watch TV.

Counsellor: What else?

Client: Nothing really.

Counsellor: What are you hoping to get from these sessions?

Client: For you to make me feel happier.

Counsellor: I want to ask you a question now. It is a bit of a strange question but lots of people find it helps them.

Client: Okay. Fire away.

(I am about to ask the 'miracle' question. This question is a bit odd but it helps to clarify where the client would like to get to. I'm asking it earlier than I normally would as I feel this client might be able to clarify his goals easier as a result.)

Counsellor: I want you to imagine that when you go to sleep tonight a miracle happens and what is concerning you now disappears. You are asleep and therefore you don't realise that a miracle has happened. What would be the first thing you noticed when you woke up in the morning?

Client: I'd feel lighter. Like a weight had been lifted.

Counsellor: What would you be thinking about?

Client: I'd probably be thinking about my day. Feeling excited about my day. Thinking through what