27th October 2018
The terms of therapy and counselling are often used as interchangeable words, although counselling is a short term treatment, whilst therapy is more long term. In the context of mental health they are generally both about talking, where an individual can discuss problems and issues with a mental health professional who is trained to help the individual in dealing with whatever is troubling them.
These professionals include psychiatrists, counsellors, psychotherapists and also social workers to some degree. This can be short term or long term, dependant on the nature of the problems being addressed. Also people attend regular sessions of counselling in order to help themselves feel more secure mentally, which can help to reveal issues before they can manifest themselves into more serious mental conditions such as depression.
Is therapy a good thing for Autistic people? Generally the nature of being Autistic causes increased levels of anxiety due to sensory overload, social issues, masking (pretending to be someone you are not to fit in) and various other issues meaning that some Autistic people, myself included, are more prone to suffering from poor mental health. Anxiety is the biggest problem for me and prior to getting my diagnosis, I decided to see a counsellor to discuss the real difficulties that I was having in managing my stress, worries and anxious thoughts.
Having had sessions before that had helped me in the past, I felt it was the right move for me. The key thing about therapy is that you have to find the right therapist for you. It is a relationship that has to just “click”. What I mean by this is that they have to be able to understand, respect and be able to change their methods to suit the person. This is in order for that the person to be able to trust, respect and be open with them.
The first counsellor I tried out was very rigid in the questions they asked me, and just didn’t feel like the right person to open up to. Luckily though the second was much better and in fact I have been seeing her for nearly four years now. It can be tricky to find the right person that suits you. Ideally if you are on the Autistic spectrum then it is critical that you see a counsellor who is trained in being able to communicate effectively with Autistic people.
I decided to see a private counsellor to avoid waiting lists on the NHS, I was not in crisis but did want help quickly. I appreciate that unfortunately this is not an option for some people and the NHS is the only professional way they can perhaps get help for their mental health. The NHS will assign a counsellor and sessions for you as necessary, but again it is still important to have the right person to suit your needs. You have the right to request another counsellor through the NHS, but be aware that this may also increase waiting times for sessions.
The counsellor I chose was selected through the Counselling Directory and I chose her because I was impressed with the way she presented herself on this website, her qualifications, the fact that she had had experience with my anxiety issues and was very local to where I lived. Luckily she was a lot more approachable then the first guy and even after the first session I felt better. In the beginning I was having a counselling session on a weekly basis but that reduced over time, as the sessions began to help me deal with the anxiety.
During that time I began to suspect that I was Autistic, sought diagnosis, was diagnosed and then went through the process of accepting I was Autistic. This journey all occurred during the time I was having therapy sessions and so my counsellor was an important part of that process. I have read that when Autistic people require therapy, in order for it to work, the therapist must have some training on Autism. I do agree with that. Autistic people think differently to Neurotypicals, and therefore common therapy techniques such as CBT need to be taught in a slightly different way. Someone with training would have a better understanding of these differences and could communicate better with the person. After all therapy as mentioned above requires a good relationship between both parties, any difficulties in communication would be a threat to successful treatment.
However, I also think from my personal experiences that it is not always necessary for the counsellor to be trained in communicating with Autistic people, provided that they are able to change their therapy styles to suit the Autistic person. For this to happen I think the therapist must have three key things – good emotional intelligence and empathy, be able to recognise that textbook methods may not work and adapt themselves accordingly, and finally to be able to learn about Autism from Autistic people themselves. They must also not think that they truly understand Autism from media such as television etc. or by reading just a single book on the subject.
Everyone on the spectrum is different, and to really understand that, you need to be around Autistic people and learn from them. In my opinion helping somebody with anxiety is one thing, helping someone who is Autistic with anxiety is perhaps another. Experience is perhaps crucial for all involved.
My therapist has been brilliant at all these things, and despite not having any formally Autistic training, I really feel that she understands me as an Autistic person. I am very grateful for that. I am not sure at what level different thinking is taught when training to become a counsellor, but I hope that neurological differences such as Autism are covered. If you decide to seek help from a counsellor and you declare you are Autistic, they should be responsible enough to say if they have any experience with this or not. This helps you to decide if they are right for you to talk to.
When I got my diagnosis, my therapist made it clear to me that she perhaps would not be able to help me in certain areas attaining to me being Autistic. I respect that, and it is a credit to her professionalism. This is speculation but there might be others that are not so honest. I wanted to carry on seeing mine though, as I knew her methods would still be a huge help to me, having been seeing her for a few years at that point.
Finally, there is the big question of does therapy work? Does it help you mentally, talking about problems such as anxiety, depression and problems in life that are too big to list here. I am a big advocate for counselling – I believe it really works if the relationship is a good one. Talking can be a crucial element in dealing with mental health and enabling you to get a fresh perspective on your troubles. Often it can be difficult to talk to family and friends, especially if the problems include them. The relationship with a counsellor is more detached in some ways and you can find ways to discuss things that might be difficult with people within your close circle.
However, I don’t think it works for everyone and I also think it is one part of the solution. For example, if you are suffering from depression then you might still require medication say in order to feel better, to give the therapy a chance to work. Different methods work together. The important thing is to find what works for you, to be open minded about counselling and giving it a try. It could be the first step in improving your mental well being.