Counselling

It might seem a bit scary to go to a stranger about your problems but the point of counselling is to help you talk about your experiences, make sense of them and to support you make positive decisions and changes.

For some, seeing a counsellor is a sign of weakness, but actually it is the complete opposite. It takes strength and courage to face your problems and go to a counsellor.

Some of the young people we speak to at YoungMinds say that going to see a counsellor to stay emotionally healthy should be like going to the gym to stay fit.
You can see a counsellor for lots of different reasons such as:

• Feeling depressed or lonely
• If someone you love has died or gone away
• Problems at school like bullying or making friends
• Having problems with eating

And there are more, such as to face problems with self-confidence, stop physically harming themselves or taking drugs/alcohol and even just to deal with feelings of worry and anxiety.

The role of a counsellor

Counsellors have had different training and experiences. You might get on with one better than another, but it is important to find one you can trust. A counsellor:

• Shouldn’t ever judge or criticise you, but they also won’t tell you what to do
• Should give you good strategies of coping with difficult feelings and help you to feel more positive and capable of dealing with things
• Might help you to make sure that other needs in your life are met (like helping to make friends, accessing study advice etc.)
• Will help you to realize what strengths you already have for dealing with difficult feelings as well as making some suggestions of others
• Should listen to what you have to say and give you space to express your feelings openly in ways that are comfortable for you
• Should help you to feel more in control of your life and more able to deal with your feelings positively
  

Counsellors have been specially trained to listen to your problems and help you understand them and make your own choices. If you are not happy that the person you see is helping you, it is okay to ask to see someone different.

Keeping things private

Counselling is private and confidential. A counsellor will not tell your parents or teachers what you talk to them about unless you or someone else is at serious risk of harm.

If this is the case, they will always talk to you about telling someone else before they break confidentiality.