What can a counsellor do for me?

On the face of it seeing a counsellor could be described as telling a stranger all the problems that you would find it difficult or impossible to share with your family and friends. So what does the process have to offer you as the client why would you go to see a counsellor.

The first and perhaps key difference between a stranger and a counsellor is in their training they have spent many years learning how to listen and help you to see problems, thoughts and feelings from alternative perspectives. This process of listening and reflection on your processes is an enormously powerful one. Indeed many people find just the act of talking the problem through in a non-judgemental confidential space relieves a lot of the tension and the anxiety of the problems they are having.

It is likely that clients will have friends and family, but there are many reasons that it might be difficult to discuss problems with them perhaps they are the problem, or perhaps they fear judgement or they just do not want to burden them with their troubles; there are many reasons and again a counsellor offers an effective way to air and discuss the feelings thoughts and possible solutions, for each person and solution will be unique.

It is important to realise that counselling sessions are not a fix in themselves. A counsellor will work with you, listening carefully and offering empathy, support and a perspective, which offers an overview and insight into the difficulty. Then together you can look at the way forward and explore your options and what might happen and what might change. The sessions help you to bring about that positive change in your life but often that is hard work

A counsellor will work to alleviate emotional pain and suffering, they can help you develop new skills to deal with the problems you face. A counsellor might work with you to build your self-esteem or to help you with your relationship. The process offers hope that there is a better way, a method of getting out of your difficulties.

Going to counselling can often be a daunting experience especially in the early sessions. You might find it difficult to talk about a subject or feel you are being disloyal to family and friends about talking about them. A good counsellor is trained to work with you and all of these fears, all of which are quite normal. As you begin to feel more comfortable it becomes easier to talk as you begin to trust the confidentiality of the counselling room.

When choosing a counsellor, you should check some things out. Is the counsellor qualified? Is the counsellor a member of one of the UKs professional bodies for counsellors (BACP or UKCP)? Both of these will give you the confidence that not only is the counsellor trained but that there is an ethical framework within which you can feel safe.

In the end you will be the one to decide if counselling has been successful. Often people talk about feeling that a weight has been lifted or that they have managed to put a bad situation behind them or that they have come out of the other side of an experience and feel much better about themselves and where they are going.

At the start of this article we posed the question, what can a counsellor do for me? They can in very practical terms help you resolve the emotional and psychological difficulties that you feel through pressures, events and the circumstances that you find yourself in.