About Counselling

Counselling can give you valuable time for yourself, to reflect, take stock and get the longer view. With increasing levels of stress and seemingly unending demands on our time and attention it can be all too easy to loose sight of, and neglect, our own needs. All too often we find ourselves carrying emotional baggage that weighs us down and spoils our living experience.

We all know the importance of keeping our car serviced, or clearing out the old files on our computer to keep them running efficiently. Everyone can benefit from a cognitive “spring clean” After all, your mind is the tool by which you filter every experience you have and is worth investing in.

It is a common belief that there must be something wrong with us if we can’t resolve our problems on our own. However, human beings are social creatures and our rational brains are at their problem solving best when we “talk things over.”

When troubling thoughts are running round in a repetitive loop, or there doesn’t appear to be a solution to unpleasant feelings it can help to talk aloud. “Hearing” you speak your thoughts, together with poignant enquiry and accurate reflection from your counsellor, can get you moving forwards again. Counsellors are trained to maximize the benefit of this type of conversation.

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves"

Counselling is Different from Friendship

When we speak to our friends and family, quite often they will give us advice according to what they would do, or what would be right for them. Your friend may “take your side” to support you regardless of the helpfulness or justifiability, of the opinions you are expressing.

A counsellor will ask questions designed to help you get a better understanding of yourself and the problem and to help you get a better picture of what is best for you.

Counselling can give you the opportunity to talk about things that you don’t feel able to share with your friends or family and the counsellor will hold what you have told them in strictest confidence (with a couple of rare exceptions which will be explained at the start of therapy)