1/ Talking therapy is very effective – it can be hard to open up to family and friends due to not wanting to feel judged or mis-understood. A counsellor will have no judgement towards you or your situation.
2/ Counselling is a safe environment – everything you say is confidential (providing it won’t cause harm to you or others). Sometimes all you need is a safe space in a trusted environment and counselling can provide this for you.
3/ You can become a lot more in control of your feelings – you can learn how to better express and manage your emotions, improve your self-esteem and your communication skills. You can learn how to trust and share.
4/ You learn that it’s okay to talk about things – it can be difficult to open up and admit we need help but talking about how your feeling can be extremely healthy. Most people are used to bottling things up and hoping it will all go away, but this can have a negative impact on our daily lives.
5/ There is nothing to be ashamed of – it is not a weakness to seek counselling, in fact seeking help is a sign of strength and trusting someone who wants to help you. Going to counselling is extremely common and should be encouraged.
6/ It helps you cope with life better – counselling can help you deal with your problems better. Sometimes life can feel like too much to deal with on our own and having counselling can be reassuring and encouraging.
7/ There is counselling for every issue – some of the reasons that people seek counselling include: depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, self-harm, grief and bereavement, relationship issues, trauma (past or recent), breaking negative cycles in your life and choices.
8/ Self-Care – it is important to look after yourself and your mental health.
Often people feel that their problems aren’t important enough for counselling, but counsellors are here to help you work through any issue you have which is having an impact on you. If you feel like you need or want help then you deserve to have that help.