WHAT IS COUNSELLING?

People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons, usually because they are having difficulties in their lives or relationships which are causing them to feel unhappy, anxious or dissatisfied.​

 

Talking to a counsellor is different to talking to friends or family. Whilst you might worry about how what you tell a friend will affect them or your relationship, this is not the case with a counsellor. Talking to a counsellor can give you the space and freedom to explore your thoughts and feelings with someone who is trained to listen without judgement.

 

There are probably good reasons why you feel, think and react the way you do.  You and your counsellor will be working together to uncover these, over a period of weeks or months.  As part of this process, you might experience deep emotions that have been long hidden.  Experiencing these emotions, although often painful, is an important part of understanding the root causes of any difficulties.​With this new self-awareness and understanding, you and your counsellor will be able to work together to think about situations from different perspectives. Part of this might involve putting yourself in someone else's shoes, which can help you to work out what they might really think or feel about a situation, as opposed to what you assume they do.​  With this new self-knowledge and ability to see things differently, you will have greater freedom to make choices in life that shape the life you want to live.