An Introduction to Counselling

What is counselling?

Counselling is a talking therapy that helps you understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It supports you to cope with emotional difficulties, reduce anxiety, and find ways to move forward. Sometimes counselling also helps you come to terms with things that cannot be changed.

Counselling is NOT about being given advice or told what to do. Only you know what is right for you. The role of the counsellor is to support you in exploring your situation, understanding patterns, and finding your own answers.

Sessions provide a space where you can tell your story, feel heard, and work towards feeling better. Counselling may be short term or longer term, depending on your needs. For some mental health difficulties, people choose to work over a longer period.

I mainly offer brief counselling. Many clients attend between six and twenty sessions, although some people benefit from just one or two sessions.

The aim of counselling is to help you feel supported, understood, and listened to so that you can gain clarity and decide what you need to do next.

Is counselling just talking?

Counselling is much more than a chat.

Talking to friends or family can be helpful, but it can also feel limiting. People who care about you may become emotionally involved, feel worried, or want to fix things for you. They may not have the training to help you explore difficult emotions safely, and confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed.

In counselling, the focus is entirely on you. The counsellor is trained to listen carefully, ask appropriate questions, and help you explore solutions, acceptance, and self-understanding in a structured and supportive way.

What can counselling help with?

Counselling can help with a wide range of emotional difficulties, particularly when anxiety, stress, or loss begin to feel overwhelming.

At Awaken the Change, counselling commonly supports people with:

• Stress and anxiety
• Bereavement and loss, including pet loss
• Confidence and self-esteem issues
• Emotional difficulties linked to some medical conditions or hospital admissions

You can get help with work, relationships or personal issues.

I have additional training and experience in these areas, including qualifications in stress management, specialist bereavement work, and over 30 years’ experience as a nurse.

What are the benefits of counselling?

There are many proven benefits of counselling. They include:

• Feeling heard
• Given a safe space to talk without judgement
• Accessible support that can be online or in the counsellor’s office
• Resolving or reducing the effects of trauma
• Improved confidence

Common questions about counselling

Still not sure? Need more questions answered before consulting with a counsellor?

Let me give you some more information.

How is counselling different from hypnotherapy?

Counselling usually involves more sessions and focuses on the conscious mind. Hypnotherapy often involves fewer sessions and works more with the subconscious mind. Counselling skills, including CBT, are frequently integrated into hypnotherapy sessions.

Is online counselling effective?

Yes. Online counselling has been used successfully for many years and is particularly helpful for people who live remotely, travel frequently, or prefer the privacy of their own home.

How many counselling sessions will I need?

The number of sessions depends on the issue you want to work on, your support network, and your readiness for change. This can be discussed during your initial consultation.

Is counselling confidential?

Yes. Counsellors work confidentially, with ethical and legal exceptions where there is a serious risk to you or others, or where the law requires disclosure.

Counsellors also have supervision. This involves discussing client work with a qualified supervisor without sharing identifying details. Supervision ensures safe, effective counselling and ongoing professional development.

Does counselling follow professional standards?

Yes. Counsellors trained by reputable organisations and registered with professional bodies such as the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) work within recognised professional standards from the Professional Standards Authority.

Can AI replace counselling?

AI can be useful for information, but it relies entirely on the words you provide. It cannot notice body language, tone, pauses, or emotional cues. Counselling is a human process that requires professional judgement and emotional understanding.

What if I feel nervous about starting counselling?

Feeling nervous is very common. I offer a free initial consultation so you can speak to me without commitment. You can choose to book one session at a time or opt for a reduced-cost package if you decide to continue.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Linda

Counselling & Life Coaching Prices