What is counselling?

Counselling will be different for everyone, depending on your concerns and goals. Counsellors or therapists will assist you in understanding yourself, your behaviours and your relationships with others. Generally, sessions will be regular, 50 minute blocks with your counsellor.  The number and frequency of sessions will depend on the severity of your concerns and your individual circumstances. You will discuss this with your therapist. However, for counselling to be effective, it is generally agreed that regular sessions are necessary. You might see your counsellor online or in office. Sessions may be for:

• individuals
• couples
• families 
• children
• adolescents
• groups

In session your counsellor will explore your issues with you and perhaps offer strategies for managing those issues. The focus of your sessions will depend on you and your goals for counselling.  You may speak about:

• your day to day functioning
• your feelings
• your thoughts
• your behaviours
• your relationships
• your childhood
• present and past life events
• situations you find challenging
• your strengths
• your current coping strategies

A therapist will be objective and empathic, open and nonjudgmental and respectful of your thoughts and feelings. They may caringly confront you around behaviours and thoughts that may not serve you or cause you harm. They will offer you alternative ways of managing issues. The types of strategies a counsellor will offer you will depend on the framework or theory they work from which may be existential therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, transactional analysis, compassion focused therapy, solution focused therapy and others. You can get the most out of therapy by:

• attending regular sessions
• practising any strategies offered in between sessions
• being honest about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours
• giving honest feedback about how the therapy is going or if something is not working for you

You don’t have to be unwell or in crisis to seek therapy. You can simply seek to improve your wellbeing or work on some challenging areas in your life. You can read other posts to understand more about what counselling and therapy is: Therapy is…. Consent in Therapy Mind Your Mind: Therapy Helps How to Choose an English-Speaking Therapist in Barcelona Therapy in Barcelona – How Therapy Works What is Sex Therapy? Online Therapy for Kids & Teens adolescent therapy adult therapy couples counseling Why Therapy? family therapy