What misconceptions do you have about counseling?

For anyone seeking counseling, finding the right counselor might seem overwhelming.  There are so many different counseling designations, approaches to therapy, and on top of that, you need to have chemistry with whoever you see.  My friend who is a counselor recently addressed many of my misconceptions about counseling.  Below is a condensed version of an email she wrote in response to my asking what differentiates the types of therapists (counselor vs. psychologist vs. psychiatrist) and in response to my frustration that I never got a clear diagnosis of PPD.  I wish I had known the information below before seeking counseling so that I would have had a better idea of what to expect (it’s very possible that my counselor was using the goal-oriented method, but I just didn’t see it because I was focused on getting a diagnosis).

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The term "therapist" or "counselor" is just a loose word for any professional who has a license to engage in therapy. This is usually an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), or a Psychologist.  LPCs, LCSWs, and Psychologists can all do the same thing, but they just have different designations from going to different graduate schools.  It is really someone's training and expertise (not the letters behind their name) that qualifies them to address clinical disorders. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who gives meds--but they usually do not provide any therapy.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of therapists out there who just do “talk therapy”--they listen, support, and "explore" with you.   It sounds like you were frustrated with this approach and would have benefited more from therapy that was goal-oriented and had specific therapy approaches designed to decrease symptoms, get to the root of irrational thoughts/lies/myths, and develop healthier coping skills.

Also, the therapists that I am on a team with don't really spend a lot of time focusing on the diagnosis.  Even if your therapist told you that you had PPD, a skilled therapist would be focused on:

1. Identifying the specific symptoms that are interfering with your quality of life,
2. Coaching you in coping skills to decrease and eventually eliminate the symptoms,
3. Explore what made you vulnerable to the symptoms and then addressing this vulnerability area (ie: the root issue causing the symptoms), and
4. Walking with you through the cognitive and behavioral changes so that you can see progress and feel better.

The only reason therapists will "diagnose" is to help clients make sense of things and to help them normalize what they are going through, but the real focus of the therapy should be on addressing the symptoms, getting to the root of how to cope, and being sure you understand what made you vulnerable in the first place so that you have LONG term healing.  A good therapist will help you connect the dots by understanding the deeper issues underneath the symptoms and how to change that, not just put a band-aid fix over your symptoms.