MAKING A VITAL DIFFERENCE
I
work as a private therapist specialising in hypnotherapy , while offering other related therapies . I have completed courses and have qualifications in advanced hypnotherapy , which I also train , neuro linguistic programming ( NLP ), emotional freedom technique ( EFT – commonly known as tapping ), eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing ( EMDR ) and cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ).
My work days are very varied , which is one of the things I love
Helping people make positive change is a satisfying vocation , says Eileen Wellings
about my job . I spend two days a week working in private clinics as well as offering my services from a therapy room in my house . I have always offered online treatment and this has increased since COVID as people have become more comfortable with the technology .
What makes the job so rewarding is being able to see positive change in people and knowing you have made a difference . I see a wide range of people with very different backgrounds and a variety of reasons behind their addictions . I work with people to discover and treat the underlying cause of their problem and use EMDR and EFT extensively when working with past trauma .
I am pleased that therapy is discussed more openly now , and the stigma around it has lessened . It can still be seen as a joke and not taken seriously though , and this has to change . I would also like it to become the first resort for people in a lot of cases – before prescription medication .
If you ’ re starting out along this path , make sure you get the right qualifications that are recognised by the NHS – there are a lot of low-value courses that need to be avoided , so do your research . But I would say that it can be the most rewarding career , knowing you are helping people make positive changes that will improve their and their families ’ lives .
Eileen Wellings GHR ( reg ), MASC ,( NLP )( Ad P . Th ), UKRAH ( adv ), Dip . Hyp is a psychotherapist at www . eileenwellings . co . uk
THAT ‘ LIGHTBULB MOMENT ’
I
am an accredited therapist with over ten years of experience in delivering treatment to individuals with drug and alcohol problems as well as a range of other mental health issues . I have a very eclectic role as I support the delivery of our intensive outpatient programme , both online and face to face , although I ’ ve worked in residential settings in the past . We find many people can ’ t get to physical services for a number of reasons , so having an online programme really helps them . Furthermore , with an online programme in the mornings or evenings it is really handy for people that have work or childcare issues .
Much of my work is delivering group psychotherapy using a range of techniques such as CBT ,
Julie Tantum enjoys the transformative side of her varied role
DBT and art therapy , but I also see clients individually for one-to-one psychotherapy and offer conjoint sessions between them and their significant other , so there is some couples work involved . Part of my role is also about giving clients an introduction to the 12-step model of recovery and signposting them to meetings alongside the psychotherapy we give .
I work with a small team of other therapists to deliver the programme . If I ’ m doing a split shift then I would be working in tandem with my colleagues to deliver the face-to-face programme between 9am and 2pm , taking it in turns to deliver the groups from Monday to Friday . I may also have to see the client for their one-to-one after , as I see them once a week for this . Then I will be online later in the evening for a couple of hours from 6.15pm delivering the same group programme to our online clients but via Zoom , although we don ’ t do art therapy groups online .
The client work is the most rewarding part of my job . Although I appreciate that the admin side is important , there ’ s nothing like helping clients have that lightbulb moment or seeing them months later still abstinent and enjoying life . We also run a family programme ( although I don ’ t deliver this ) and it ’ s terrific to see how rewarding this is to those trying to support their loved ones in their recovery , as this is not easy and often family members get left out .
I think anyone deciding to specialise in addictions counselling should get some experience of working with this client group , especially in the community and doing groups , before deciding to make this a career choice . It is very rewarding but can be very challenging too , as unfortunately addiction is a chronic relapsing condition and many must have a
‘ The client work is the most rewarding part of my job .. there ’ s nothing like helping clients have that lightbulb moment or seeing them months later still abstinent and enjoying life .’
go at treatment a few times before they understand the behaviour change side of things – but also accept that controlled drinking or recreational drug use is not something they can ever go back to . Julie Tantum is a registered counsellor CME NET CCSA BAPSA , an Addiction Professional and psychotherapist at Help Me Stop
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