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What is Counselling?

Counselling involves discussing your situation with someone,

trained to listen and ask questions that will assist you to explore your situation and options,
to assist you to reconnect with and build on your personal strengths,
to empathise with you and your situation, and
encourage you to learn, move forward and change what you feel you need to change, be there with you as support on your journey.

Counselling is a discussion between a client and a professional counsellor. It is not about giving you advice or magical answers to your problems. It is about assisting you to identify your circumstances, thoughts, feelings and actions in your life that are causing your concerns and affecting your happiness. It is about being there with you to develop skills that can help you to cope and resolve your issues in a positive and constructive way. Counselling is about your sharing honestly with me about what is troubling you and what is happening in your life that may be contributing to your issues.

Counselling is about my caring for you as the unique individual you are, having someone to hear you and who is supporting and working alongside you in your time of stress or need. Counselling is about warmth and acknowledging that you are not alone and you have someone to reach out to that empathises with what is happening for you.

From time to time, life can be very difficult but as individuals it is not about denying our thoughts and feelings, and trying to be strong. It is learning to understand why it is we are feeling the way we do and gaining perspective on our problems that assists us to change, gain strength and move ahead feeling good about the situation and ourselves.

Counselling is about you learning to trust yourself and listening to the messages you hear from your inner self or spirit. Some refer to this as "gut feelings" or "intuition". Give yourself an advantage by having the courage to enter counselling and pursue your journey towards your inner wholeness. You are about to embark on the most exciting sometimes painful, yet ultimately a rewarding experience in your life.