What does a Mental Health Counsellor Do?

27 Mar

A skilful mental health counsellor will meet you where you are at, and seek to understand your unique situation, and challenges. In a session you can expect to feel truly seen and heard, and begin to feel safe to share what has brought you to counselling, as you trust your counsellor to accept you just as you are, without judgment or expectations.

Skilled Listeners

Counsellors are trained to be skilful listeners and to utilise a variety of talk-therapy tools to first and foremost develop an effective therapeutic relationship, and apply techniques to support you in your healing, and daily functioning.

Are my problems too small, or too big, for counselling

No issue is too small, or too big, to bring to a counselling session. If something is affecting you, and how you function, in any way (it might be a recurring thought, a block that stops you doing what you need to do, or an unhelpful emotional, or behavioural reaction), it matters to you (and even if no one else in your life gets it, a counsellor will understand it is a big deal for you) and deserves attention. You don’t need to work it all out on your own. A trained therapist can help you move from the struggle(s) you are having to resolving the issue(s) and spending more time enjoying the various aspects of your life.

What to expect when you work with a counsellor

When you work with a counsellor, you can expect to clarify your issues, safely explore options, and strategies, and develop self-awareness. Some mental health concerns can be treated through training in reframing thoughts to be more helpful, other issues require deeper exploration into the core beliefs undermining your efforts to function more fully, or stop the problematic behaviour you find yourself repeating. A skilful counsellor will attune to what you need and check in with the pace of exploration so you work on what is available and comfortable for you, at the time. As a counsellor my priority is to create a safe space for you to be heard and understood, and in doing so, attuning to keeping you feeling safe within yourself also.

Benefits of Counselling

Through counselling sessions you can expect to increase your self-awareness and sense of self-agency (your ability to make decisions, know what you need, and be clear on why things are important to you). These changes support you improving how you function; whether that be with more cohesive relationships, better ability to manage emotions and behaviours, new thought or belief options, alternative perspectives, and healthy coping skills.

It’s different to talking to a friend - confidential and no judgments or preconceptions

Counselling is confidential support*. You can share parts of yourself you may never have voiced to another because you have feared being judged or feeling shame. A counsellor is objective, and will not be surprised by anything you bring to the session. Counselling is confidential, and always objective. This means that everything you discuss with the counsellor stays in the session. *The only exception is when a counsellor has a duty of care to report something that threatens your wellbeing or the wellbeing of others.

What to ask a counsellor

When looking for a counsellor, I would recommend either viewing their online profiles or seeking a 10 minute chat to get a sense of how comfortable you feel to open up and talk freely. Do I feel they understand me, and are not judging me in any way. What their approach is. Eg. Do they work as ‘the expert’ or from a ‘non-expert’ stance; are they directive, non-directive, or collaborative. You might like to ask them about their approach and their credentials and how many sessions they expect you will need to attend.

Some problems can be resolved in a few sessions while others may take longer. Many of us have unresolved issues that have been impacting our quality of life, and life choices. These issues can require deeper exploration and longer-term counselling.

If you’d like to find out more about how I work or book in for a counselling session, I welcome you to get in touch.

Reach out - get in touch with Nicky