Counselling is about dealing with whatever is going on in your life; whether that be depression, anxiety, work stress, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, or any number of other issues; or it can simply be a source of extra support for you. This is your space, and whatever you choose to bring is welcome, even if that's as undefined as "something just isn't right".

You don't need to have an explanation before you start. One of the goals of counselling can be to discover what exactly has brought you to the therapy room. And you won't be expected to justify or explain yourself; even just being in the room is enough to make a start.

No-one can force you to talk about a subject or area you don't want to go to. Counselling is a collaboration between counsellor and client, and its direction is guided by your needs and desires as client. One of the first tasks in counselling is to explore what you want to get out of your sessions, including which areas are on and off limits.

The idea that you must shoulder your hardships alone is a common one; but this belief can leave a person feeling isolated and burdened. In fact, we are all human, and all need the support of others sometimes. Reaching out is a sign of strength, growth, and resilience; of new beginnings rather than endings.

Face to face therapy has been shown to be effective by many pieces of research and clinical trials. Studies show consistently that the most important factor in therapeutic change is the relationship between client and therapist. Thus the question becomes not whether psychotherapy works (it does), but whether a particular therapy or therapist is working for you; and that is something you can only assess for yourself. If you feel you might benefit from counselling or psychotherapy, the chances are good that you will.