ABSTRACT
The vast majority of counselling is still practised using the methods, but the more unconventional approaches are testimony to the powers of suggestion and the often unpredictable nature of the human psyche. The ability of the mind to find unusual ways of representing problems can muddy the water in the counselling environment. Medically Unexplained Symptoms, the label for any physical malfunction that resists conventional diagnosis, is an increasing occurrence where repressed emotions are experienced as physical symptoms. Depression and anxiety may be linked with vague physical symptoms such as breathing problems, sleeplessness, headaches, dizziness, joint pain, and migraines, which may need to be taken into account when making an counselling assessment. Although the counsellor may not be confronted with some of the more esoteric complexes, the impact of some dysfunctional conditions is becoming increasingly recognized. There is no doubt that the practice of counselling brings with it pressures and challenges.
