What is counselling?

What is Counselling and how can it help?

A counsellor is trained to listen and help you deal with any negative thoughts, feelings or problems you have. Counselling allows a person to talk about their problems and feelings in a confidential and dependable environment.

Counselling is also known as talking therapy and occasionally is used to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a type of therapy in its own right.

Other psychological therapies include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and relationship therapy, which could be between members of a family, a couple, or work colleagues.

What is counselling used for?

Talking therapies such as counselling can be used to help with many different mental health conditions, including:

Abuse
Affairs and betrayals
Alcoholism
Anger management
Anxiety
Attachment disorder
Bereavement
Bipolar disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Depression
Dissociation
Domestic violence
Emotional abuse
Family issues
Generalised anxiety disorder
Health anxiety
Infertility
Loneliness
Low self-confidence
Low self-esteem
Miscarriage
Panic attacks
Physical abuse
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Postnatal depression
Pregnancy and birth
Redundancy
Relationship problems
Separation and divorce
Sex problems
Sexual abuse
Sexuality
Stress
Trauma
Work-related stress

How counselling can help?

Counselling aims to help you deal with and overcome issues that are causing emotional pain or making you feel uncomfortable.

It can provide a safe and regular space for you to talk and explore difficult feelings. The counsellor is there to support you and respect your views. They won't usually give advice, but will help you find your own insights into and understanding of your problems.

Counselling can help you -

cope with a bereavement or relationship breakdown
cope with redundancy or work-related stress
explore issues such as sexual identity
deal with issues preventing you achieving your ambitions
deal with feelings of depression or sadness, and have a more positive outlook on life
deal with feelings of anxiety, helping you worry less about things
understand yourself and your problems better
feel more confident
develop a better understanding of other people's points of view

Counselling can often involve talking about difficult or painful feelings and, as you begin to face them, you may feel worse in some ways. However, with the help and support of your therapist, you should gradually start to feel better.

In most cases, it takes a number of sessions before the counselling starts to make a difference, and a regular commitment is required to make the best use of the therapy.

What to expect from counselling..

During your counselling sessions, you'll be encouraged to express your feelings and emotions. By discussing your concerns with you, the counsellor can help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes, as well as identifying ways of finding your own solutions to problems.

It can be a great relief to share your worries and fears with someone who acknowledges your feelings and is able to help you reach a positive solution.

Trusting your counsellor

A good counsellor will focus on you and listen without judging or criticising you. They may help you find out about how you could deal with your problems, but they shouldn't tell you what to do.

For counselling to be effective, you need to build a trusting and safe relationship with your counsellor. If you feel that you and your counsellor aren't getting on, or that you're not getting the most out of your sessions, you should discuss this with them.

"Incredible at listening and truly making me think about things thoroughly. Challenges me when needed and allows me freedom to vent my frustrations in a constructive way." "I've had lots of therapy before and never felt as listened to as much as stacie. I can talk about anything and feel i have finally got to point where i am actually seeing real improvements and good coping skills. Stacie is so lovely and helpful, she has helped me so much and i use her advice and coping skills all the time" "I have not been with Stacie long but I already feel like I am heading in the right direction and with Stacies help it doesn't feel so daunting taking these “Very understanding and provides good support and techniques to help with situations” “Best therapy there is, you feel listen to. Like you are talking to an old friend but you also have that boundary of professionalism. You never feel out of place saying what you feel.” “Shes understanding, kind, caring and friendly. She doesn't make you feel like your feelings are invalidated. She listens and helps find ways for you to heal and help your mental health.” “My therapy sessions with Stacie have been really insightful and helpful so far. She checks in with me to see how I’m feeling and offers lots of different techniques to help my anxiety outside of our sessions. I look forward to speaking with Stacie as it’s like talking to a friend, I can grab a cup of tea and feel safe discussing my worries” “Great therapist! Extremely caring, professional and a great listener. Therapy with Stacie put my mind at ease a lot sooner than expected, for this I’m super grateful for her and her expertise" “Stacie is a kind, helpful and supportive listening ear. She is helping me develop self compassion and self kindness and I am really grateful for that. Stacie’s advice is intuitive and helps you to learn to listen to yourself and what you need in yourself. Really grateful for Stacie" “Stacie is an amazing therapist - she is patient, supportive and always makes me feel validated. I always feel comfortable bringing my concerns to her and she consistently offers useful advice and methods I can use throughout my day to day life. She has been such a help.” “Stacie is amazing. Even after 5 sessions she has really helped me and gives me solutions to some of the things I say. She is amazing and so easy to talk to, feels just like a (professional) friend”