How does counselling work?

Counselling helps people improve their mental health and wellbeing. 

Peer-reviewed counselling research has constantly shown the most important factor in counselling is the quality of the relationship you develop with your counsellor. 

A good counsellor will be empathetic, non-judgmental and authentic. He or she will keep your personal information confidential, develop a genuine relationship with you within professional ethical boundaries and support your development. The counsellor will help you feel safe and comfortable and demonstrate a compassionate understanding of the complexity of the decisions you are making and stress are experiencing. 

There are many different techniques and therapeutic approaches that counsellors use. You may have heard of some of them, such as cognitive behavioural therapy. You want a counsellor to adapt their practice to suit your unique and individual needs, recognising that a single therapeutic approach is not suitable for everyone.