How do you know if counselling is right for you? Maybe you have some ideas about counselling that are putting you off? Let’s look at some common counselling myths that hold people back from reaching out.

 Counselling is only for those who are experiencing a crisis.

Counselling is a form of self-care and self-care is for everyone.

Just like exercising and eating well, counselling can help to improve your quality of life. Sometimes we feel confident coming up with our own diet and exercise routine and other times we invest some time and money into having someone else, like a personal trainer or a nutritionist, come alongside us.

The British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) says:

“Counsellors and psychotherapists play a crucial role in improving the health and wellbeing of our society. They help people to talk about their feelings, think about their choices or their behaviour, and make positive changes in their lives.”

Counselling can be helpful if you...

• would like to understand yourself or others better
• want to process something from your past
• have experienced something troubling
• are at a crossroads or facing a decision
• would like help to cope with stress, anxiety or personal issues

My counsellor is going to make me talk about things I don’t want to talk about.

Counselling sessions are client-led, so we use the time to discuss the things you want to talk about, you will not be forced to tell your counsellor anything.

We spend time at the start of the counselling relationship establishing what your goals for therapy look like. What would your world look like if counselling had “worked”? Where would you like to be in 6 months’ time? Understanding your aim in counselling and working towards that is an essential piece of the process.

The counsellor will tell me what to do.

We explore your own unique viewpoints and values so that you have a stronger sense of self and feel confident making decisions that feel right for you.

The goal of counselling is not to develop a reliance on your counsellor but to empower you to make choices that are authentically yours.

My counsellor will judge me.

Counsellors are trained not to judge but to appreciate each person’s unique circumstances, personality, and inner world.

Counsellors appreciate that many of us have tricky pasts or are dealing with unhelpful thinking patterns, low self-esteem, stresses, worries and low moods in the present.

Many counsellors choose to work in this area as they have had personal experience of benefitting from counselling in the past.

I’m too busy for counselling.

Counselling can take less than an hour a week.

Accessing counselling online cuts out the time and cost involved with travelling to and from sessions, making a 50-minute session easy to fit alongside your weekly routine. Sometimes we have to make time for important things like time for work and time for friendships that we value. Your mental wellbeing is so important, how much time are you making for taking care of yourself?

To take the first step get in touch via email at krissy@counsellingwithkrissy.co.uk or ring or text 07961928095.