Adult Dyslexia Organisation

Counselling for dyslexic adults.

Why a counsellor might be helpful.

Counsellors can help people make sense of their painful experiences and understand them better. Some adults with dyslexia will have had a really hard time at school, at home and in employment because of their difficulties. The strain of being constantly misinterpreted, misjudged and criticised can start at a very young age. Most children will develop low self-esteem if every time they do something the adult doesn’t like, they are given the feeling they are no good. Teachers can be particularly devastating in their comments. They may call a child lazy or stupid because that is the only explanation they can think of for the apparent inability to do something from a particular child. If all the authority figures in your life seem to be telling you that you should try harder, are no good, etc it is only the individuals with a very strong sense of self who will still believe in themselves. Many individuals will accept these negative and wrong interpretations because they do not understand themselves why, for example, they can explain something perfectly well in class and yet not write it down in the same way or fail to follow some instruction or direction as easily as some of their peers. Coping strategies can develop which are actually unhelpful, like pretending not to care or even being disruptive which get the individual into even more trouble. By the time the child with dyslexia becomes an adult they may be quite deeply depressed about them and find it really hard to ask for help or feel hopeful that help can be given that will make life easier. They tend to blame themselves when they lose things or turn up late, unaware of the role that dyslexia may be playing in this. It will help if a counsellor knows about dyslexia and the impact that it can have on everyday activities as well as in educational settings.

A good counsellor can listen to the difficulties that someone may have in say reading, organising and remembering. They will help work with the feelings of frustration or guilt that have developed in someone and support the individual in finding ways of coping more effectively. Because they are independent and non-judgemental they can be much easier to talk to than family or friends or work colleagues. They provide total confidentiality which can be very important to someone who does not want, for example, employers to know until they feel ready to tell them.

A counsellor’s role is to help someone so that they can cope more effectively. They can also help people to handle stress. The relief of a dyslexia assessment can trigger very strong feelings of anger and loss about all the unnecessary hassle and trauma of all the years that came before. A trained counsellor can be enormously helpful in moving on into the next stage.

How to find a counsellor.

Counsellors –like doctors, teachers and other professionals are accredited. The British Association of Counselling (BAC) is the main accrediting body which will guarantee their training and skills.

Most colleges and universities provide personal counselling through their support services. In residential colleges and universities some counsellors can be located through the health clinic.

Outside educational institutions counsellors can be found through doctor’s surgeries. In many cases referrals can be made via the doctor and a series of free appointments may be made. Some surgeries provide a list of accredited counsellors in the area, as do alternative health centres who also have counsellors at their centres. They do charge a fee.

It is important that there is one ‘trial’ session or more as people do prefer different counsellors and the need to feel confidence and trust in the counsellor has to be met before an individual can raise very personal issues. It is also important that the counsellor have some understanding of dyslexia although they will not be dealing with the practical difficulties that can occur because of dyslexia. They will be there to help you deal with the feelings that you have and to offer support in some cases with your handling of stress.

In an educational setting some students with dyslexia may spend more time with the study skills support staff and feel that their practical help in specific areas related to the impact of dyslexia on study is all they want. The BAC website gives further information on who counsellors are and how to contact them.

http://www.bacp.co.uk/seeking_therapist/index.html

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