Resolving emotional distress

STRONG EMOTIONS like depression, anxiety, and anger are at the root of why so many people seek help from GPs, counsellors, psycho­therapists or clinical psychologists.

At any one time millions of people in the UK suffer from the negative effects of these emotions.

Despite their training many professionals are not good at dealing with the disruption that out of control emotions cause their clients. Some common forms of counselling, for example, are known to make depression and anxiety disorders worse.

Con­versely, the right type of counselling is known to be more effective than drug treatments for all of these conditions. Human givens therapy is in this category of counselling.

 

What are the human givens?

We all have basic emotional needs, such as the need for love, security, connection and control, and the self-esteem which arises from feeling competent in different areas of our lives. We also have the innate resources to help us meet these needs including: memory, imagination, problem solving abilities, self-awareness and a range of complementary thinking styles to employ in various different situations. It is these needs and resources together, which are built into our bio­logy, that make up the human givens.

When emotional needs are not met or when our resources are used incorrectly, we suffer consider­able distress. And so do those around us.

- Human givens therapists focus on helping clients identify unmet emotional needs and empowering them to meet these needs by activating their own natural resources in new ways. To do this they use a variety of up-to-date, proven, brief solution­ oriented techniques.

Effective Counselling

USE THIS AS A CHECKLIST     

An effective counsellor or psychotherapist:

·  understands depression and how to lift it

·  helps immediately with anxiety problems including trauma or fear related symptoms

·  is prepared to give advice if needed or asked for

·  will not use jargon or ‘psychobabble’

·  will not dwell unduly on the past

·  will be supportive when difficult feelings emerge, but will not encourage people to get emotional beyond the normal need to ‘let go’ of any bottled up problems

·   may assist you to develop your social skills so that your needs for affection, friendship, pleasure, intimacy, connection to the wider community etc. can be better fulfilled

·  will help you to draw on your own resources (which may prove greater than you thought)

·  will be considerate of the effects of counselling on the people close to you

·  may teach you to relax deeply

·  may help you think about your problems in a new and more empowering way

·  will use a wide range of techniques

·  may ask you to do things between sessions

·  will take as few sessions as possible

·  will increase your self confidence and independence and make sure you feel better after every consultation

·  will be able to talk to you about the human givens approach and how the way they work relates to it.

Message Centre: Fax or Phone:  0845 281 8602

E-mail: humangivens@aol.com