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Have you had a bad counselling experience?

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It's through Uni mainly and ones that I have sorted out myself - private ones etc. My GP has been no use whatsoever.
Original post by PharmacyGirl26
It's through Uni mainly and ones that I have sorted out myself - private ones etc. My GP has been no use whatsoever.


Oh ok :s-smilie:

Why not try a different GP? One that will refer you?
I have been to all 3 of the Drs in my practise but they just keep fobbing me off with antidepressants. I eventually managed to get one of them to send me for couselling / psychotherapy and she said it would be about a year before I got seen and they have still to sort it out so I'm not even on the waiting list yet
Original post by PharmacyGirl26
I have been to all 3 of the Drs in my practise but they just keep fobbing me off with antidepressants. I eventually managed to get one of them to send me for couselling / psychotherapy and she said it would be about a year before I got seen and they have still to sort it out so I'm not even on the waiting list yet


Doctors tend to give out anti-depressants more easily than referring you for therapy because it is easier (and supposedly cheaper) to give a patient anti-depressants than to refer you to therapy which has a long waiting list.
That's very true - what they don't realise is that its a lot more annoying as well!!
My experience with CAMHS was horrible. The doctor was patronising, kept using her other patients as examples as though I should have been happy not to be in-patient/ attempting suicide on a school trip abroad and just seemed to have so much disdain for me. Like I was doing everything for attention and I wasn't really sick enough to warrant her care. Then when I said I wasn't continuing sessions (a week before I turned sixteen) she tried to threaten me with in-patient treatment. I dared her to section me, walked out of the room and never heard from her/ CAMHS again.
Majority of my counselling experiences have been horrible. I think part of it was because they were just textbook counsellors. They had never explored mental illnesses beyond what they had been taught when they were learning about them. When presented with a real problem, they just couldn't do it. CAMHS was by far the worst and their treatment of me was extremely questionable and almost cost me my life. My case was completely mishandled. I'm glad I'm no longer under their care.
Has anyone actually had a *good* experience with CAMHS?
psychologist I saw was a total dick, unbelievably insensitive, insulting,patronising and utterly unhelpful.
people like him shouldn't be anywhere near people who are ill & vulnerable.
I've tried counselling before at college, and I felt like she was kind of lazy with it.
I went twice & she was helpful, she wanted to try CBT and we drew up plans to how I could tackle my problems. I went back after the holidays (this was last April when there were loads of bank holidays so I think I went a couple weeks without seeing her) & she said that she didn't want me stuck in the room and to go out & enjoy the sunshine. She did tell me to come back if I had a problem, I never went back because she obviously wasn't dedicated enough to me to follow though with the CBT.

I've being refered by my GP now and I've got my first session tonight and I am so so nervous :frown:
Original post by Simone.xox


I've being refered by my GP now and I've got my first session tonight and I am so so nervous :frown:


Hope it goes okay :smile:
Original post by LaBelleEtLeBete
Has anyone actually had a *good* experience with CAMHS?


I have a friend who said she preferred CAMHS and they actually treated her well, compared to my mentor at school.
Original post by jazzykinks
Majority of my counselling experiences have been horrible. I think part of it was because they were just textbook counsellors. They had never explored mental illnesses beyond what they had been taught when they were learning about them. When presented with a real problem, they just couldn't do it. CAMHS was by far the worst and their treatment of me was extremely questionable and almost cost me my life. My case was completely mishandled. I'm glad I'm no longer under their care.


Oh my goodness! :console:

How did it nearly cost you your life?
Original post by Simone.xox
I've tried counselling before at college, and I felt like she was kind of lazy with it.
I went twice & she was helpful, she wanted to try CBT and we drew up plans to how I could tackle my problems. I went back after the holidays (this was last April when there were loads of bank holidays so I think I went a couple weeks without seeing her) & she said that she didn't want me stuck in the room and to go out & enjoy the sunshine. She did tell me to come back if I had a problem, I never went back because she obviously wasn't dedicated enough to me to follow though with the CBT.

I've being refered by my GP now and I've got my first session tonight and I am so so nervous :frown:


Good luck with that. :smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by sweetheartbreakin
Hope it goes okay :smile:


Original post by Dee Leigh
Good luck with that. :smile:



Thanks :smile:
I actually got really lost because they referred me out of my area, by the time I got there half an hour late the counsellor had already gone!
In my late teens .. was asked to use crayons and sit at a little table and draw pictures for my art folder ... I dont mind art but she was So patronising and condesending it was unbelievable!!
Original post by Dee Leigh
Oh my goodness! :console:

How did it nearly cost you your life?


I had anorexia and I was getting better at home with my parents feeding me the stuff I loved. Unfortunately I got the refeeding syndrome so CAMHS hospitalised me. Whilst in general hospital, I lost 7kg in 10 days despite eating everything they gave me -- I was better off at home! My weight plummeted in hospital to 5 1/2 stone. I'm 5'8" so you can imagine how horrible that was!
Sorry if I have ended up bumping this thread, I am doing some research at the moment about this sort of topic. Very interesting.

Original post by LaBelleEtLeBete
The doctor was patronising, kept using her other patients as examples as though I should have been happy not to be in-patient/ attempting suicide on a school trip abroad and just seemed to have so much disdain for me. Like I was doing everything for attention and I wasn't really sick enough to warrant her care.


Oh my goodness - similar situation here :s-smilie: though rather different in my case with the 'mentor' at my school.

Like I said before in this thread, my 'mentor' was really condescending and patronising, and kept mentioning other students as examples as well, as though I should be happy and grateful because I turn up to school wearing nice clothes, looking like I've been well fed, nice bag, nice phone, nice shoes etc, book, nice hair, money every month from my parents, stationary etc, whereas others don't have those things.

It was as though she was suggesting that I had no right to feel upset and complain about my issues (which were very serious btw) because all the stuff I've got makes up for it. It was like she was insinuating that my problems were not serious for me to complain about and she talked down to me like I was a child (not nice really). It's like saying she was saying "why complain, your problems aren't problems - people have it worse than you. At least you turn up wearing nice clothes and shoes. At least you've got a nice house with central heating to live in." :s-smilie: :mad: It upset me that this woman who had initially cared about my problems and was sympathetic was trying to 'trivialise' my problems and seemed so keen to blame me for them and shut me down.

She talked down to me like I was a child who knew nothing, yet she was rude and a little bit childish. I remember making a comment about how I didn't have any support from my family (for certain things), and her response was "Oh boo-hoo!" :mad: :mad: :mad:

Yes people may have it "worse than myself" but that doesn't mean that my problems don't matter :angry: and therefore no one should ever have to feel that way when trying to seek help for their problems.

I'm not rich (but not poor either) but people forget that material wealth doesn't equate happiness.

I'm not in education atm but looking back on that time when I was trying to seek help in school (I was in year 12 when I spoke to her) makes me feel a bit stupid tbh :s-smilie: :frown: because she made me feel that way, at a time when I was emotionally unstable and need someone on my side who could see things from my perspective. But I don't worry or care anymore or feel upset, because the faults were with her, not with me.
(edited 12 years ago)
Ah..I remember when I had my first therapist for anorexia, and I had expressed to her how I felt huge - even though I was only a size 8. Her reply was "Well, I'm a size 14, am I fat to you?" I said no but felt like I had really offended her. I left feeling very guilty.
My current counsellor at college is brilliant but the one before her was awful. She kept looking at the clock and once I said something and she said "Why are you looking at me like that?". She knew how insecure I was about communicating with others then she makes a comment like that & completely knocks my confidence. :mad: Luckily she left soon afterwards, think she retired. Tbh I think she was sacked because when she left nobody seemed to be able to explain why, mentors, teachers, receptionists etc didn't know, and then magically about four or five months later a new counsellor was brought in and she's great. I'm gonna miss her when I leave .. :erm:

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