It’s perfectly normal to feel frightened or worried before booking a first counselling session with our team, it’s a big step for many people which is why we’re called Courage Counselling – it takes courage to make that first step and book a counselling session.
Hundreds of people use this form of talking therapy every single day. If you have a toothache – you go to the dentist, if you have a physical ailment you book an appointment with your doctor. If you have anxieties or worries you should talk to counsellor, it’s as simple as that really.
Here are some common worries that clients have about booking a session.
‘I don’t know how to talk about my feelings’
Don’t worry! It’s not a test, you don’t have to know exactly how to express yourself, it’s great if you do, but a big part of the role of a counsellor is helping you to explore your feelings and to express them in a way that makes sense to you.
‘What if the counsellor thinks I’m stupid’
One of the main core conditions of being a person centered counsellor is that of being non-judgemental. It’s really important that the client feels as if they are able to say whatever is on their mind without fear of feeling that they are stupid or somehow wrong. Whatever you are thinking and feeling is valid (and certainly not stupid) and it’s really important to be able to explore that in the counselling session without feeling like you are being judged.
‘What if I get upset?’
That’s absolutely no problem, we’ve got lots of tissues on hand should you need them. One of the main benefits of counselling is being able to express how you feel, in whatever way you want to express it, in an environment that feels safe. The counsellor will help you go at a pace that suits you, you won’t be pushed into expressing anything that you don’t want to. The beauty of crying though is that it is part of the healing process, the hurt has already happened and the crying is the healing.
‘I don’t know what is wrong with me’
You don’t have to come to a session with all of the answers. We will work together to explore how you think and feel, and bring into your awareness the things that are causing you discomfort in your life. Often old thought patterns and behaviours are really difficult to identify by ourselves because they are things that we have always thought or believed so it’s only by exploring during a counselling session with curiosity and lack of judgement that we can see how those patterns are impacting our current way of being.
‘What if I do it wrong’
That’s impossible! There is no right or wrong way of having a counselling session. You may find yourself talking lots in a session, or not very much at all. Each client is different and each session is different too. What you need on one session might be very different to what you need in another session. We go at a pace to suit you so it feels safe and not overwhelming.
If you have any other questions or concerns that we have not covered above, please get in touch. We offer a free telephone consultation for all new clients. The relationship between client and counsellor is the most important thing in ensuring that the counselling sessions are effective so we offer the free consultation, plus there is no obligation to book further sessions after the first session. I always advise clients to go home and reflect on how the session felt for them before booking another session. Counselling works best when undertaken weekly so you have to make sure that the counsellor that you choose feels right for you.
