What is counselling?

Hello…

..and welcome back to my blog.

So while considering all the topics I want to cover for you all, today I thought why not start with the basics – what is counselling? Whist I realise I have covered this throughout my website, I wanted to discuss it in more informal terms.

Counselling is defined as the provision of professional assistance and guidance in resolving personal or psychological problems.

But I still wonder, do people actually know what that means?

I have had many a discussion where people believe that counselling is about giving advice or telling people what to do – and it couldn’t be further from the truth.

So what does it mean, I hear you ask?

The answer is simple, it means different things to different people. And every relationship between client and counsellor will be different.

First and foremost it is regarded as a ‘talking therapy’ – were people can come to explore and share openly about their life, experiences and difficulties in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

Counselling can also take many different forms from individual to couples or group face-to-face, to telephone or online counselling.

So there is not a ‘one size fits all’ definition.

Counselling offers people the opportunity to simply off load, to try and understand thoughts and feelings or perhaps explore current or past difficulties.

The key and most important part to counselling is the therapeutic relationship. Without that, well little can be achieved – and this has been well documented in research over the years. So it is important to pick the right therapist for you – I’ll be coming back to this topic in my next post.

So what is counselling to me?

I see counselling as a journey of self-exploration, discovery and understanding – and it’s one that I feel privileged to travel alongside with my clients.

I provide a space where I offer no answers or solutions, as I am not on expert on them – or you – but I am there to offer support and encouragement. Therefore my hope is to provide understanding and empowerment, enabling you and my clients to embrace and enhance their own lives and live them more fully.

My aim is to create a collaborative relationship, in which I work authentically with clients by sharing my thoughts and observations and by providing them with a reflective space to hear their own voice.

I hope that offers some idea about what counselling is, and perhaps if the topic of conversation ever comes up you can clarify that it isn’t about giving advice or telling people what to do.

Please like, comment, share and follow, and until next time:

be kind | embrace growth | nurture relationships

Kassandra