FAQ

Normalcy is perhaps one of the most hyped myths and a very subjective term. It consists of perhaps a group of personal reactions and situations that society finds desirable. However, all of us deviate from that standard in some or the other way. Requiring counselling simply means you are perhaps in a situation, which may be an external or internal situation, where you are confused and disturbed and you need help to work with yourself to deal with the situation.
Any emotional problem or difficulty has its roots in our inner nature. Our feelings depend on how we think about ourselves, others and our situations. Often we think in ways that are irrational or we think about situations as devastating. This is not because we are "foolish" or "weak" in any way but because we have learnt to think of certain things only in certain ways. Being professionally trained to be unbiased and objective, a therapist/counsellor is able to help you look at the negative or irrational patterns of thinking, which provides you with some clarity of perspective and helps you deal with the problem more effectively. In addition, the counsellor is able to provide you with tools and techniques to work on those difficulties.

When you expect a magical or a quick fix solution from counselling, you will face disappointment. It is a slow process where you first accept that some changes are required within you and you progressively work at making those changes. Expecting the therapist to make your decisions or solve your problems will lead to disappointment. She shall not make your decisions, but will help you make and accept your own decisions and trust in them.
Counselling is not a crutch for weak people. Therapy aims at making you independent and helps you to believe in your own decisions and accept their consequences. During the initial stages of psychotherapy, however, you may feel like seeing your therapist often. You may feel uneasy if she is not available as per your requirements. That is primarily because you have started to look at your difficulties in a different light, which is making you uneasy and confused, and you need her for reassurance. This is however only initial and will wear off in a few months as your belief in yourself increases and you are no more passively waiting for situations to change.
No, this is an inaccurate understanding of the role of counsellors. Counsellors are NOT advice-givers or problem-solvers. Rather, they are professionals trained with skills and competencies that facilitate an individual to gain awareness, growth and transformation through a warm & understanding relationship. There is no magic solution or specific advice. Every individual and their life situation is unique and therefore there can never be a 'one size fits all' solution.
YES. All information that you share will be kept confidential. This is an extremely important ethical guideline for a counsellor, where no information can be disclosed to another person without your consent, except in situations where there is risk of self-harm, harm to others or child abuse. If you go through my testimonial page, you will see this point being validated.
I have often seen people confused between a psychiatrist and a counsellor and hence there is a huge taboo about seeking help from a counsellor, as they believe going to a counsellor would indicate they are "mad"

Let us understand how they differ with each other:

Psychiatrist:-Psychiatry is the medical study of mental disorders, covering diagnosis, management and prevention. A psychiatrist must undergo full medical training as a doctor before choosing to specialise in psychiatry. Unlike many other mental health professionals, psychiatrists can assist in medical treatment and testing as they have the appropriate training.

Counsellor:-A counsellor will use psychotherapy to help clients develop understanding and insight into their behaviours/feelings, with the aim of overcoming difficulties. The tools and techniques used by the counsellor will depend on the nature of the concern.
Therapists are often asked how many sessions someone will need before they feel better. Ideally six sessions is a minimum that is required to establish the relationship or 'working alliance' with a client. Trust, as you can imagine, is crucially important to the work that we do. If you don't feel safe talking to your therapist about deeply personal matters, the work can't happen. If the trust isn't there, the therapist can't challenge your deeply-held assumptions and expect you to consider the usefulness of what's being suggested.

So, you're usually asked to commit to six sessions. Does this mean that six sessions is all it will take to successfully deal with the matter so troubling that it brought you into therapy in the first place? Maybe. Sometimes. It's impossible to be sure. The process proceeds largely at your pace. Six sessions may be enough if the work focuses purely on one particular, clearly defined problem. Sometimes, it becomes obvious that much more work is needed in order that you can really benefit from it. It's hard to unravel a lifetime of ingrained and increasingly disabling feelings, thoughts and behaviours in just a few weeks.
Meeting face-to-face is still better, but e-therapy can be effective, especially if psychotherapy is not accessible to you.

Working with a therapist online will never replace traditional, face-to-face therapy relationships. E-therapy is not meant to replace traditional therapy; it is one of the ways that can help reach people.

Does e-therapy help people? Yes. Over 90% of the people who work with a therapist online say that it helped them. The relationships people form with therapists via internet communication can be deep, authentic, and emotionally healing.