What is counselling and do you need it?

When I first went to therapy, I was anxious, convinced I didn’t need it. Sure, life had been hard for the last year or so but therapy? Growing up in a working-class household in Scotland, therapy was something Americans and aristocrats did. As the weeks with my therapist went by, however, I found myself relaxing, unfolding, sharing aspects of myself and my past I had never told a soul. I laughed, cried and ultimately felt a profound weight I hadn’t even realised I’d been carrying fall away from me, leaving me lighter, happier and able to navigate life more easily.

I am a counsellor. As part of my master’s degree in counselling and psychotherapy training at Keele University, I had no choice but to undergo therapy. The impact was so profound that my entire dissertation became about my personal journey. It also left me with an unequivocal conviction that therapy can benefit everyone.

So, is it right for you? There’s a whole raft of reasons someone might end up in a chair with a therapist – the loss of a loved one, crippling anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and so on. But it can also be hard to pin a specific reason down. While I wasn’t aware of the need for therapy, I can look back now and see that life had colluded to leave me withered. Shortly after a diagnosis of severe arthritis, I was living with chronic pain. Then my father died of vascular dementia – a cruel demise. One day I just couldn’t see a way forward, there was no sense of happiness on the horizon. This is how it can start, a sense of feeling something is wrong even though you can’t clearly articulate it.

The world of counselling is full of modalities, different specialties – I’m a person-centred therapist. What does that mean? Imagine going for a walk with someone who lets you lead the way, listens carefully to whatever you wish to discuss, without interruption, without judgement. Every now and then they may make an observation, and it feels like they really get you, that they genuinely understand. They won’t tell you how or what to think, instead they allow you – possibly for the first time – to fully, safely explore your own thoughts, perceptions and experiences.

It sounds simple but over time, this approach can be transformational, leading to greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and the confidence to make changes. At the heart of the person-centred approach is the immense body of work from renowned psychologist, Carl Rogers. He believed ever person has within them the desire and the ability to grow – but sometimes this capacity for growth is thwarted or blocked by life. Working together with a therapist can help to remove such blockages.

At Serenity, we have a broad and experienced team of counsellors, each with their own areas of expertise. No matter what you’re struggling with, someone here will be able to meet you with compassion, understanding, and skill. If you’re reading this and wondering whether counselling could help, it’s okay to reach out. We know that taking that first step requires courage – it also means you’re ready to explore a different way forward. At Serenity, we’ll be here to walk alongside you as you navigate your own path towards clarity, healing, and hope.