Counselling Service | Jackie Villars Counselling Services

In these trying times there can be little time to stop and think. Counselling provides an opportunity to do so in a non-judgemental environment where you can explore your thoughts and feelings safely and express them openly. When life gets difficult we tend to keep ourselves busy, without taking the time to consider thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings stay inside us until they are expressed and released, they can feel like a heaviness in the chest. They can build up and weigh us down without us realising it, causing anxiety and depression, low confidence, loss of self and low self esteem.

Most of us struggle with something at some point, and tend to get by by telling ourselves that there are people much worse off than we are, and that we should just get on with it. We don't give ourselves permission to feel, or the same compassion that we give to others. Sometimes we avoid what we know we have to face because it is can feel overwhelming.

Counselling can be useful for gaining acceptance, dealing with loss and recovering from trauma. It can help with problem solving and give you the confidence to deal with difficult situations. It can help you to understand yourself and others in a healthier way. Counselling can also provide you with skills and techniques to challenge thoughts, feelings and behaviour, which you can apply to new situations, building resilience and self-confidence. Many people believe that counselling is only appropriate if you are no longer able to cope with life or have been through a terrible trauma. This is a misconception because counselling is good for anyone who just wants to understand themselves better. The ideal is that you come to counselling before you hit crisis point as this means that you are more able to engage with therapy and deal with any emotions that may come up.

If you are reading this it's probably because you are thinking of counselling for yourself or someone else. It can be a difficult decision so I think it's important to look at a few different counsellors. For counselling to work you need a good relationship with your therapist, as you have to feel that you can be yourself, and you can be open and honest about whatever is going on for you. It is vitally important that you feel understood, heard and not judged.

Counselling Directory and BACP are good places to start, as you can read a bit about each counsellor and get a sense of whether you think you can work together. Make sure that whoever you choose is registered with a governing body such as BACP or NCS as this shows that they are an ethical practitioner who is fully trained.

If you are thinking I could be worth a go, then please have a look around my website and you will find out a bit more about how I work. If you have any questions don't hesitate to give me a call on the above phone number, send me a text or email or go through Counselling Directory or BACP. We can arrange a thirty minute free consultation and take it from there.