Mindcare Counselling Blog

Are counseling services readily accepted or are they still looked down upon? I would say definitely it’s still a stigma to seek counseling services and this view has been well validated by research.       Many people who experience psychological and interpersonal concerns never pursue treatment (Corrigan, 2004). According to some estimates, within a given year, only 11% of those experiencing a diagnosable problem seek psychological services. In addition, fewer than 2% of those who struggle with problems that do not meet diagnosable criteria seek treatment (Andrews, Issakidis, & Carter, 2001). In my work as a School Counselor, I observed that over the years, students would come with the pretext of Career Counseling initially and would later divulge their main concern, which almost always diverted the work towards psycho, social and emotional issues. The most often cited reason for why people do not seek counseling and other mental health services is the stigma a...

The middle stage on counseling brings in a shift in the counselor’s focus. As compared to the initial stage where the focus is on the cognitive level of the client’s issues, the middle phase explores more deeper and emotional level of the client’s concerns. This stage is also marked by increased disclosure on the part of the client.  Let’s have a look at sample outline of a middle session: Introduction   – the first 10 minutes ·           Greet the client warmly – smile (and shake hands if hand is extended or is appropriate.) Escort to your office. ·           Offer a chair and a drink of water. Give the client the chance to speak out the things bothering him before you move to information gathering. These concerns may be deceptive – but may be pre-occupying. Or these concerns may form the major part of this session. Explain how this second (third, etc.) visit will progress. That you...

WHO says India A depressed nation? A  World Health Organisation  study claims that  India  has the highest number of depressed people  but the country's leading mental health institution - the  National Institute of Mental Health  and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) - has refuted the findings. According to experts at NIMHANS , WHO's figures could be 'highly inflated' and they see very few severe depression patients. "Most people who come to the tertiary mental health care centre have moderate to mild forms of depression'' is their argument. The WHO-sponsored study concluded that while around 9% of people in India reported having an extended period of depression within their lifetime, nearly 36% suffered from what is called Major Depressive Episode (MDE). But Dr S K Chaturvedi, professor and head of the department of psychiatry, Nimhans, told TOI: "I think the figures in the study are highly inflated. There could be a methodological problem. If th...