Free psychological consultation

Free psychological counseling is neither the "universal benefit that solves all psychological problems at zero cost" as some marketing trumpets, nor is it the "IQ tax that is all about diversion routines" that many people complain about. It is a type of psychological service with clear boundaries and adapted to specific scenarios. It can be used but must not be used indiscriminately. The effectiveness depends entirely on whether you have found the right type of matching service and whether you have understood its applicable boundaries.

I just met a sophomore girl who complained to me last week. She said that she saw a post about "free psychological counseling" on a social platform. After adding her as a friend and chatting for less than 20 minutes, the other party insisted that she had a "severe depressive tendency" and asked her to quickly sign up for 3980's ten-time long-term consultation package, otherwise she would "likely develop schizophrenia." She was so scared that she couldn't sleep well for two days in a row. The first thing she said to me was, "Are all free psychological counseling scams?" ”

Of course not. If you go to the psychological counseling center of a university and ask, all consultations for the students of the school are free. Many centers of 985 colleges and universities also have senior counselors with more than ten years of experience. I had a visitor before who was a top 2 master's degree. Before graduation, he collapsed due to the pressure of thesis and the failure of the autumn recruitment. After talking to the school center six times, he adjusted his status without spending a penny. Now he is a product manager in an Internet company. There are also free clinics organized by mental health centers in various places every year on World Mental Health Day, public psychological services provided by communities for low-income households and elderly people living alone, and even free recruitment for many novice counselors who have just obtained qualifications and accumulated casework hours under supervision. These are all formal, free psychological services without routines.

To be honest, I scorned free consultations when I first entered the industry. The supervisor I followed at that time was psychoanalytically oriented and repeatedly told us that "payment itself is part of the treatment setting" - only when clients pay real money will they be willing to face their own problems and will not be casual. He broke an appointment and would not deliberately avoid the core conflict. He had tried to take free cases before, and the other party was late for half an hour three times in a row. When they talked about the problem of his original family, he started to fight. Finally, he lost contact directly for the fourth time. Later, when they met by chance, he said, "It didn't cost any money anyway. I suddenly didn't want to go that day, so I didn't go." Most counselors from the elite school hold this view: free services will dissipate the client's motivation for change and reduce the consultant's commitment, which is not good for both parties in the long run.

But later, when I participated in a public welfare project for post-disaster psychological assistance in Luding, I discovered that things were not so absolute. At that time, I met many villagers who were affected by the disaster at the resettlement site. Their houses were washed away, their families were injured, and they even relied on the rescue team to deliver food. You couldn't tell them, "We will consult for 300 an hour. You pay first and I will talk to you later," right? At that time, there were several consultants with a humanistic orientation who were working with me. Their views were very clear: for groups who really have no ability to pay and are in urgent need of emotional support, free consultation has irreplaceable value, and we cannot use the logic of commercial services to require services in public welfare scenarios. We stayed at the resettlement site for half a month, and all consultations were free. Many fellow villagers were silent at first, but later they were willing to talk to us about their future plans. This in itself is proof that the intervention is effective.

I now set aside 10 hours of free public welfare consultations every year. I only accept young people who have just graduated and cannot afford the rent, or who have encountered unexpected changes and cannot afford the consultation fees. Before each appointment, I will explain: the free consultation can only be provided for 4 times at most, and can only deal with the current acute emotional distress, such as just now If you are dealing with the anxiety of unemployment, the collapse of a broken relationship, or dealing with deep-seated issues such as family trauma or diagnosed depression and anxiety disorders, we will either wait for your financial situation to recover and then discuss paid long-term consultation, or I will help you refer you to a more cost-effective novice counselor. I will never suddenly recommend a package to you while chatting. So far, I have received nearly 30 public welfare cases. Many people will send me messages to report the good news after their jobs are stable, saying that those few chats helped them survive the most difficult time.

Of course, I also have to remind everyone, don’t seek free consultation on any problem with the mentality of “getting a bargain”. Just like the drugstore at the entrance of your community will measure your blood pressure for free. If you feel dizzy recently and want to take a test, it's totally fine. But if it turns out your blood pressure is high, you can't expect the clerk who measures your blood pressure for free to prescribe or perform surgery on you, right? If you just have superficial emotional problems such as being stressed about exams recently, feeling overwhelmed after a fight with your partner, or feeling a little anxious about not adapting to the new job, regular free consultation is enough. ； But if it is a severe emotional disorder that has affected normal eating and sleeping, or a deep psychological problem that can be traced back to childhood, it is better not to be greedy for this advantage. After all, the training cost of qualified counselors is extremely high, and it is impossible for counselors who can do long-term and in-depth intervention to provide free services for a long time. If you encounter "free consultation" with unknown origins and dare to answer any questions, there is a high probability that it will be a diversion routine waiting for you.

Oh, by the way, if you really want to seek free consultation, remember to ask clearly about the other party’s qualifications first: does it have a psychological counselor qualification certificate/registration system registration number, does it have a fixed supervision, what are the boundaries of the service, how many times can you chat at most, and will there be any subsequent mandatory fees. Ask these clearly before deciding whether to talk, and you can avoid 90% of pitfalls.