I have my first session with an (nhs) counsellor in a couple of hours and i don't know what to expect.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

Been signed of work for stress/anxiety/depression for the last 6-8 weeks.
I'm on 40mg fluoxetine which is managing the physical symptoms most of the time.

Last 18months has been hell with lots of stressful life events: redundancy, retraining as a teacher, rocky relationship followed by break-up, single parent, terminal illness of my father and providing end of life care with family, self harming dd, dtds moved the secondary school and have had a tough time settling although are fine now. Returned to retraining as a teacher has just pushed me over the edge.

I don't know what to expect from counselling in general or from this first session specifically....do I just give the list above and hope the counsellor can pick her way through it and work out what's important?

And I am fully aware that I will be doing all the 'hard work' over the coming months...but getting a bit anxious as to what to expect.

Anxious bump?

I assume you have had your appointment now, I hope it went well.

I think in first sessions counsellors usually like to know what has been going on for you, a little general information about yourself, and you begin to discuss what you hope to take away from the therapy.