Who is counselling for?
This might come as no surprise but I think people of every age, background and life history can benefit from counselling. Our clients come from all walks of life. People who you might think would never in a million years seek help, do so and derive great benefit from it. Older men, who (so the cliché goes) are not known for their emotional openness often make incredible strides in counselling, perhaps because they are able to talk openly for the first time. Successful people, whose lives on paper look perfect but inside feel anything but, who need to talk. People who have lots of friends but no-one to actually talk to (honestly, you’d be amazed how many people this is true for). People who have no friends beyond their partner (again, surprisingly common). People who have always been ‘ok’ but have been knocked sideways by an experience they thought they’d sail through. And, perhaps more obviously, people who are coping with really challenging lives, with caring responsibilities that deplete their resources, mental and physical illness, difficult relationships, fractured families, addiction, stress, money worries and the many other challenges of life.
The list is endless. There isn’t a ‘type’ of person for whom counselling is effective, it can help anyone who’s ready to talk about what’s going on for them. Everyone can benefit from a supportive therapeutic relationship that provides you with space to talk about what’s on your mind. Counsellors are trained to offer a non-judgemental space in which every individual is valued, so no matter what’s going on for you, you’ll be able to talk about it in a safe space.
Why do people have counselling?
People seeking counselling have one thing in common: they want things to change. Change in how they feel, think or behave, or change in how they see things. Counselling gives them the help and support they need to make change happen.
You might know exactly what you want to talk about; perhaps a recent experience or event has knocked you for six. Or maybe something happened ages ago that you haven’t dealt with, and your emotional chickens are coming home to roost and causing chaos.
Or perhaps you need support to figure out how you are feeling. Usually it’s because something’s ‘not right’; how you feel is affecting your life, relationships or work and you want to talk to someone who is professionally trained to listen and provide support.
Maybe you are behaving in a way you don’t like but don’t seem to be able to stop. Drinking or eating too much, losing your temper at the slightest provocation, avoiding the world – problems can manifest in all sorts of ways.
Perhaps you’re not feeling ‘it’. You’re not feeling anything. You’re feeling furious or flat or dead inside, hopeless or frustrated, angry, sad and FFS am I the only one who feels like this? (No – you’re not. 100% money-back guarantee you are NOT alone.)
You might wonder why you’re struggling with something when everyone else seems to glide through life unscathed. Mostly we’re all just muddling along, faking it until we make it, but it’s easy to think you’re the only one struggling. Trust me when I say you are not alone.
And some people simply need someone to talk to.
What’s the point of counselling?
The point of counselling is to feel better, emotionally and mentally. Calmer, happier, less anxious, more optimistic, well-equipped to deal with things because you know yourself better. Able to face the future. More mental bandwidth because you’ve unpacked what was taking up so much headspace and energy. More resilient. Not alone.
A lot of the time it’s about unpacking your thoughts and feelings, talking through what’s on your mind in a lot of detail and taking your time to really examine what’s going on for you. Clients often don’t realise how much they have on their plate until they unload it in a counselling session. Then they sit back and think: “Oh, actually, that is a LOT. No wonder I have barely been coping!”. Simply recognising that things are really tough can help people realise they need to be kinder to themselves and better at recognising their own needs.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I think counselling can help pretty much anyone. If you’re ready to talk, being heard can be a life-changing experience.