You might have had someone tell you that they think you should access counselling, or you might be thinking of it yourself.
You might have heard about it, or seen about is somewhere such as a tv show or news story.
You might just be curious.
Whatever the reason, you might be wondering ‘why counselling’?
Why would someone seek counselling?
What would they get from it?
In many ways, it is hard to answer this, as it is so unique to every individual. Each person that accesses it, does so for a different reason, and with different hopes about what it will do for them.
Even when people seemingly attend for the same reason, their experience will be different, with what they get from it and what it changes being specific to them.
It might even be that an individual attends for one reason, but through the counselling process, they identify other areas or experiences that they wish to explore or consider, and from this, they start to make connections that open up new opportunities and possibilities; paths that were previously unseen or overgrown, start to show themselves and clear, leading to a new way forward or options that were previously not there.
There is no fixed list of reasons for why someone should access counselling. There may be commonality in the reasons, or areas that are more prevalent than others when it comes to the ‘why’, but the counselling process isn’t about everyone else. It is about you; about what you are experiencing, what you are going through, or have been through. It is about what it means for you, and what you would like to happen.
It might be something that you have been experiencing for some time, or only recently.
It might be something that you want to talk about, but don’t feel able to do with those in your life, or that you would like an element of distance or neutrality from your everyday life.
Or you might have a feeling that something ‘isn’t quite right’, but you don’t know what or why.
It might be an event, a feeling, a thought, a belief.
Whatever the reason, it is absolutely ok!
Counselling is your space.
It is your space to bring what you wish, to explore what you wish, to talk with someone in the knowledge that their primary focus is you; hearing and seeing you.
The relationship between counsellor and client is one built on empathy, openness and honesty (congruence) and non-judgement.
It is acceptance.
It is sitting with you, so that you have the knowledge that there is someone alongside you as you choose to explore the undergrowth and find the new paths or clear and redefine the current ones.
It is a relationship and space that may not be present in everyday life.
It may give you a different experience to what you have had before or enable you to feel able to take a leap into uncharted waters.
Or it may be a place of stillness and calm, that is not present in the outside world; a time to gather your thoughts.
It’s what you wish or need it to be.
But in that space, the ‘journey’ (the word had to be used!) can begin.
Through counselling, you are given the map. It may be a map of your current world, but with previously unseen or unexplored parts, or it may be a map of a whole new world. Whatever the map, it is yours to explore as you wish; to find new routes, destinations and waypoints.
New knowledge, understanding and ways of being.
You are the navigator of your map.
The counsellor will stand alongside you, going where you choose to go, supporting you and facilitating so that new parts of the map unfold, but you are the owner of it. You are your own guide.
Counselling is the mechanism that supports the compass and helps you to trust in it and find your way.
Counselling is your own personal adventure.
Why would you not want to go on it?