5 reasons why its good to talk to a counsellor

1 Non judgemental
A counsellor is trained to be non judgemental and goes into the counselling session with an open mind. There should be no concerns that a counsellor will judge you. Your life and your experience is yours and sharing any experiences you may have had will help the counsellor to understand where you are coming from and your view of the world.

2 Confidential
A counsellor may not repeat what you say in the counselling session. The only exceptions to this maybe if there is a risk of harm to you, someone else, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking or money laundering. Your counsellor will help you understand this through the contract you agree together.

3 Commitment
A counsellor makes a commitment to see you every week at an agreed time. A counsellor is reliable and the time allocated to you is yours. There should be no interruptions from devices or other people.

4 Focus on you
A counsellor is unlike a friend, this is because a friendship is generally a two-way relationship. Friends support each other so the support is given and taken. With counselling the counsellor is going to focus on how she/he can help you. No support is expected from you. This can be immensely freeing as you can speak as long as you need without feeling like you have to give your counsellor a turn.

5 Professional
A counsellor is trained to understand how to work effectively with people. Counsellors adhere to professional bodies like British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP), National Council of Psychotherapists (NCP) and UK council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). These bodies ensure counselling training and standards are kept up to date if you feel you have a complaint you can speak to the professional body of your counsellor for help.

If you feel You would like to speak to a counsellor please check out the Counselling Directory website for a list of professional counsellors who can meet your needs.