Overcoming Barriers to Communication

Some barriers may prevent any possibility of communication by making the service inaccessible to clients. Examples of these primary barriers to communication in counselling include several factors relating to the mode of communication:

• • If a service (e.g. some NHS services) structure their care in a way that expects clients to try online sessions before being able to have one-to-one sessions, this creates barriers for clients who are not familiar with – or don’t have access to – a computer (e.g. older people who have not encountered computers in their work and do not have one at home).

• • Similarly, an expectation to engage in group sessions may be a barrier for people struggling with social anxiety.

• • Services that require the initial assessment to take place over the phone may prevent clients who are hard of hearing or do not have a private place to receive phone calls from communicating at all.

There are many other primary barriers to communication:

• • race and culture (e.g. some ethnic groups believe that problems should not be shared with people outside the family network)

• • a mental-health condition itself – e.g. people struggling with depression may not have the motivation to undertake online therapy, which depends on having a reasonable level of motivation and self-organisation

• • lack of understanding of what counselling is

• • personal pride (the potential client feeling it should be possible to sort out their own difficulties)

• • denial/distortion of problems

• • preference for a therapist of a particular gender or background

• • disability

• • work patterns

• • bad past experience of therapy

• • transport issues (e.g. reliance on public-transport routes)

• • carer responsibilities

• • age

• • where the person lives (sometimes referred to as the ‘postcode lottery’).

Assuming, however, that the person has not faced – or has been able to overcome – these barriers, then further potential barriers await clients when they do begin their counselling sessions.

Common secondary barriers to communication include:

• • a noisy environment where it is really difficult to hear (e.g. if roadworks are going on nearby)

• • lack of fluency in speaking and/or understanding the language in which the counselling will be conducted

• • strong regional accents, which can make it difficult for the client or counsellor to understand the other person

• • difficulties with reading and/or writing (which – even in counselling using the spoken word – could affect the client’s ability to understand the counselling contract, complete any homework, e.g. in CBT) etc.)

• • hearing impairments

• • lack of privacy (if the room is not sufficiently soundproofed and/or guaranteed to be free of interruptions)

• • the counsellor or other staff member at the agency being judgemental, off-hand or sarcastic.