Can talking really make a difference?”

If you’ve been struggling, you may have already talked to your partner, a friend or a family member. They've probably listened, reassured you and offered advice.

So it makes sense to wonder how talking to a counsellor will be any different.

After all, talking can’t change what happened. It can’t make difficult situations disappear or erase painful experiences.

So how does it help?

It's not just about talking

Counselling isn't simply about talking.

It's about being truly heard.

It’s easy to understand what those words mean, but I’ve found that being truly heard is more of a feeling.

It's feeling accepted for who you are and how you show up each week, without judgement.

It’s being able to say whatever you want without feeling you have to explain yourself, defend your feelings or worry about what someone else might think.

For many people, it’s the first time they’ve experienced feeling heard. The first time that the focus has been entirely on them.

And that can be freeing. To finally be able to share your true thoughts, feelings and fears.

To simply be yourself. And for that to be OK.

A different kind of relationship

Friends and family care deeply about you, but they're naturally part of your life and their story becomes entangled with yours. They have their own agenda – even if they’re not fully aware that they do.

As your counsellor, I have no agenda.

I'm not here to tell you what you should do or who you should be.

I’m here to offer you a relationship where we can be curious together about you, your struggles, and how your experiences may have shaped you.

Sometimes, feeling heard changes everything

Often, we don't need someone to fix us.

We need the opportunity to slow down and make sense of what's happening.

By being truly heard and accepted, something often starts to shift.

You may start to notice patterns you hadn't seen before. You may begin to understand yourself more deeply and recognise why you respond the way you do.

The past may not change, but your understanding of it can.

And when that happens, the way you experience the present can begin to change too.

You're not broken. There's a reason you feel this way.

Through talking and feeling heard, we can begin to make sense of it.