by littlesmurf

Created on: March 03, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Sitting in a dinky little room with a complete stranger, I felt completely intimidated. She was looking at me, deep inside me as if she was searching for all the answers to the questions she had to ask. I sat there lips locked and motionless. My mind was racing over what it was I should say to her, what did she want me to say? And so this went on for the first 4 sessions with my counselor. It was not until the fifth session that I finally let my guard down. She touched a nerve with a question she asked and I broke down. I talked and talked, let it all out and she did not interrupt even once. When I finished she simply said 'See you next week'. I wondered had I said the right things or had I got it wrong?

The next week I went as normal to our session. We talked about the previous week and about my feelings on it. I told her the truth, that I could not relax, that I was afraid of saying the wrong things to her. I was only 15, what was I doing here? But she listened to my hopes, my fears and never judged. She gave her opinion or advice when needed and she gave me a tissue when my tears needed to be wiped, but most of all she helped me to help myself and she gave me the tools I needed to cope with depression.

The only advice I can give so that you can get the most out of therapy is to let your guard down. Think of your counselor as your personal diary. Share your deepest thoughts and fears and don't be afraid to say the wrong things. Nothing you say can be wrong. They are there for your benefit and to help you.

You may not 'click' with the first one you visit and then decide that you want to give up, but keep trying until you find someone that you can confide in and turn to when you need them. Trust, respect and honesty are essential in the partnership between counselor and client if you are ever going to benefit from it.

Don't be afraid to open up, to cry, to laugh or to talk about everyday slight problems that in retrospect may seem very minor. I only know from my experience with depression how important therapy sessions were for me and how I got the best possible results from them; it was not an overnight success, it took many years to find my way and it is still taking time.

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