What is Counselling?

“the process of assisting and guiding clients, especially by a trained person on a professional basis, to resolve especially personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties.”

Counselling is:

• The process that occurs when a client and counsellor set aside time in order to explore difficulties which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the client. 
• The act of helping the client to see things more clearly, possibly from a different view-point. This can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with a goal to facilitating positive change.
• A relationship of trust.  Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling.  Professional counsellors will usually explain their policy on confidentiality, they may, however, be required by law to disclose information if they believe that there is a risk to life.

Counselling is Not:

• Giving advice.
• Judgemental.
• Attempting to sort out the problems of the client.
• Expecting or encouraging a client to behave in a way in which the counsellor may have behaved when confronted with a similar problem in their own life.
• Getting emotionally involved with the client.
• Looking at a client's problems from your own perspective, based on your own value system.