hmm is counseling helpful? well it wasn't for me, could be I just didn't mesh with the "well educated" person who was "helping" me, things took a turn to the negative when she said "he beat you into a coma, knocked your teeth out, broke your nose, because you wanted him to" not at all because he was using tons of steroids or anything like that. Just me me me, all me.
Can anyone imagine seeing Dr. Phil for help?

My ex and I went to couples counseling back in 2002 for about 3 months.

You see where it got us (hence the "ex") lol

Seriously....it probably would have been helpful had the relationship not been to the point it was at but it was too little, too late.

I once had someone tell me a good therapist is one who has also expierenced what he is counseling his patients for. One of the things I love about my therapist is as well as seeing me start to heal I have seen him also progress past his issues. He has always been very open with me that he doesn't have all the answers and he is just there as a support system and to help me work my way through my many issues. Hell I spent the first six months of therapy balling my eyes out at every visit because I was able to talk openly to someone I could trust and believe in me. I have really good friends and a sister that I am extremley close to but I don't feel like I could talk to them about all the dark places in my soul. I think you get as much out of it as your willing to put in it and you have to be open to letting them help you.

Counseling is what you make of it, for sure. Of course, a big part of that has to do with the therapist in question.

When I was young, my parents thought I wasn't happy enough so they shipped me off to family counseling. Complete waste of time, some stupid woman telling me the root of my problems and me just laughing inside.

As an adult, after suffering a breakup with my first love, I turned to the student counseling center at my university as a last resort. I was unhappy and sad and something had to give in my life. I saw a licensed clinical social worker there, who let me talk to her and tell her what was wrong, not the other way around. With her gentle prompts and suggestions, I was able to work through my pain over a period of about 5 months, and really come out a healthier and happier person.

Of course, the biggest difference between my two experiences was that when I was young I didn't think I needed help, so I wasn't a willing participant, while the other I embraced the fact that I needed to talk to someone.

It can work for you if you make it work and find a therapist that works with you, not shoves stupid psychology down your throat.

I have been on both sides of the therapy equation...without a doubt there are a lot of crappy shrinks out there but also many good ones that really do impact lives. But in the end...you get out of it what you put into it....unfortunately many don't want to change anything...they just want the therapist to make the pain go away. It doesn't work that way. The effectiveness of therapy is largely based on the trust and rapport developed....it's a relationship. A therapist may be competent but if theres no chemistry...it's going no where...like many here I've been to both good and bad therapists...for me the good ones are the ones that aren't afraid to confront me when I'm scared and using words to avoid my feelings. Seems therapy works for some and not others...keep in mind there are many, many therapeutic approaches too ie insight based, cognitive, behavioral etc. It's finding a good match

Never worked for me....

But we didn't complete it.