Why “Dropping the Disorder” is so important in my counselling work with Children and Young People

Back where it all began (2006-Joseph Priestly College) 

Goal- Diploma in Counselling 

So, at 26 years old, I knew my heart was with pursuing a career in counselling, alongside that was a passion to work with children and young people. I myself had benefitted as a young person from strong role models and counselling, I had grand aspirations to give something back (and in my own way change the world)! 

I’m guessing I must have done something right when I was accepted for a Counselling placement at a Third Sector Charity working with 11-25 year old’s which is Person Centred in approach, little did I know but a place that I would come to think of as home. 

Naivety and being a little green....... 

Let’s talk...... “Mental health disorders” and the DSM (Diagnostical and Statistical Manual). You might think that Diplomas in Counselling would talk about this area or perhaps alternatives to Psychiatry and the medical model. 

Sadly, back in 2006 my course didn’t offer an alternative to the medical model of diagnosis, hence I entered the world of counselling simply thinking young people with ‘severe mental health problems’ (Yuk just look at my language back then!) just wouldn’t be people that I would encounter. (How wrong could I have been)! 

To this day I thank my lucky stars that I was accepted in a Person Centred organisation that quickly instilled in me that young people are not their labels they have been given. Whether a young person has been given a diagnosis, is searching for one or is inherently against the idea, that instead we work with them as human beings searching for deeper meaning to life beyond a label or a diagnosis. 

I quickly learnt that the young people I would encounter certainly on paper could be classed as having ‘severe mental health issues’, however through the guiding hands of my work colleagues, my supervisor, group supervision and further training I learnt that there was other ways to talk about mental health. (I soon changed to talking about emotional health, rather than mental health) 

“You do know it’s usually trauma, crisis and life events right...” 

After a while working at the charity, I confided in my Manager how many young people were coming to me with a ‘Personality Disorder’ label given to them by Doctors, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and sometimes the young person would give it to themselves by searching Google. I said how dismayed I was and how hard I was trying to help them believe in themselves and see beyond such labels. My Managers response was that many young people especially girls were being given diagnoses after events such as abuse and trauma...... “It’s dreadful and simply unjust, they are just trying to cope!” shouted my passionate wonderful Manager. 

I knew I had to up my game, I researched into trauma, read more literature and searched for more training that would help the young people I worked with. 

Several young people I worked with who had come to me on waiting lists for a diagnosis/assessment, successfully engineered their own way forward, coming away instead knowing and believing that their past and their environment had heavily contributed to their emotional health issues. It was uplifting, magical and inspiring as a counsellor to see after long term therapy that they took themselves off waiting lists, rejected assessment’s and were truly empowered. 

Not all cases turned out so well and often my well-meaning challenges to the medical model fell on deaf ears. I often couldn’t dispel the inground belief that for some young people their diagnosis defined them and validated them. (Indeed, this is their right to have and keep these beliefs, but I continued to plant the seeds of an alternative narrative) 

The penny drops!! Manchester, November 2017 “A Disorder for Everyone” training. 

I remember myself and two work colleagues huddled together at Leeds train station, half talking about Christmas shopping and half talking about what was about to be probably the most influential training that would inform my counselling work to date. 

Upon entering the large hall at the venue in Manchester I looked around at the different stalls, I later purchased several books that I still use with young people today, including ‘A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Diagnosis’ by Lucy Johnstone. 

The order of the day included a background to how the DSM was created and lots of other facts and information that I knew I could use when offering young people an alternative to the medical model. This felt crucial as often the initial perception of counselling for some young people is that counselling constitutes of ‘chatting’ or gaining advice, but the real help for them would come through hospital or basically anyone with Psych at the beginning of their job title. 

Speakers included the founder of Drop the Disorder Jo Watson, Dr Lucy Johnstone who went onto talk about The Power Threat Meaning Framework, Dr Jacqui Dillon Chair of the Hearing Voices Network in England. 

There was poetry from survivors and workshops to choose from, I was like a sponge soaking up new information and also having my own person centred values confirmed and validated. I discovered that poetry from survivors of the psychiatric system would move me to tears and that 

I was indeed doing my bit as a counsellor....... but and it’s a big BUT I knew I needed to do more for the young people I work with. 

As soon as I got back into work the word was out in the staff room...... 

“You must read about Drop the Disorder!! ““Look they are on Facebook too! and they are doing training next year as well” 

2018 Leeds-St Georges Crypt...... Yep most of my workplace were sat at the training ‘A Disorder for Everyone’, (I was secretly reveling in that I had played a large part in most of my work friends attending) 

Fast Forward to 2020...........! 

In the meantime, out of my weekly workload of 15 clients not counting the Intro sessions or Drop In work I do, at least a quarter of my clients have been given a mental health diagnosis with disorder in the title or are in the process of receiving one. The struggle is real and frightening! 

I’m undoubtedly privileged to be able to offer up to a years-worth of person centred counselling with the option of young people coming back after a 3-month break providing they are still in the right age range. In the world of IAPT and CBT I’m really aware of how rare this is. 

Maybe I sound like a robot, maybe I sound like I’m being endorsed by ‘Drop the Disorder’ (I’m really not ) however the one thing I will never stop saying to clients is... 

“It’s not about what’s wrong with you, but what has happened to you?” Eleanor Longden/Jacqui Dillon 

For many young people this is the light bulb moment, amazingly many young people never make that connection that their reactions and ways of coping are perfectly normal ways to cope with the autrocities they have been through. Instead I hear stories from young people believing they are “worthless’, ‘stupid’ that they deserved the trauma and abuse they have been through. 

I will never stop promoting an alternative to the medicalisation and pathologising of our young people! 

Why?....... 

So that young people can be empowered, so that they can learn they are amazing and that their voice matters. I feel it is my duty as Counsellor to yes remain true to my Person Centred background, but I cannot withhold information about what can and still does happen when young people are given a disorder label to wear round their necks for the rest of their lives. 

Many of my clients have gone on to challenge the medical model, they tell me stories of speaking out on social media, attending conferences, activism, telling their psychiatrist they disagree, telling other mental health organisations what is unhelpful, what isn’t working, they realise their voice can make a change! 

I think I have the best job in the world planting seeds in a society dominated by the medical model of psychiatry.

(A thank you card to myself from a wonderful young person/client)