What does a Counsellor do?

[justwanttotalktosomeone]

I am considering getting some counselling but I don't know what they actually do and how I find one. I've googled and found some locally but how do I choose one.

I just want someone to talk to, who doesn't know me or my family so will be totally impartial. I've had a difficult year (for me) and I don't know if I'm heading for depression or if I'm just totally overwhelmed by life at the moment. I can't really talk to family as a) they're part of the problem and too close to it all and b) I don't want to be dealing with their emotional reaction to whatever I say.

Ha, I'm used to being the strong one. The rock everyone can depend on. The rock is crumbling.

Look for someone qualified via BACP or UKCP.

Mainly they listen to you and ask some questions to guide your thinking. They don't direct you or tell you what to do.

Thank you

Look for someone qualified via BACP or UKCP.

Sorry, have to disagree with this. BACP and UKCP are membership bodies. They don’t offer qualifications. There are other membership bodies which are signed up to the Professional Standards Register, and you can find a list here: www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers/find-a-register

OP, have a look through profiles on a directory such as Counselling Directory. See who sounds good to you, who you like the look of, and who has experience with this kind of thing. Talk to a few via email or phone, meet a few to see what you think before committing to therapy. There are different types of counselling, so ask each one you contact how they work.

A counsellor won’t “fix” things, but they will help you better understand and accept yourself, and assist you in finding you own way of dealing with what is happening. They will be able to ‘hold’ your upset and offer you support to explore and express it in a safe way.

Good luck.

^ what he said

Mine gave me a lot of answers I would never have worked out for myself.
Things that I couldn't work out made sense for me for the first time in my life.
When you open up to someone you could have a lot of emotions surface that you have buried deep down.