Do I need counselling?

Do I need counselling?
What is counselling anyway?
I’ve got it all together, everyone knows that, don’t they?
Nobody sees the torment within me; the fear, insecurities, the uncertainty of the future.
So, what can counselling do for me?

When I first down in the clients chair I had no idea what to expect. Why would I put myself in a position to talk to a complete stranger about things so hidden within me that even I can’t find?

But, within the process, things began to make sense. All the things that have happened, all the hurt that had been buried slowly came out. I wasn’t pushed or coerced into talking, it just happened, because I felt safe. I found myself feeling free to talk. There was no judgement, no advice and no ‘you should have’; I was heard, for the first time, just heard. I didn’t need the advice or the sympathy, I needed to talk and was allowed to do just that.  It is liberating.

That’s what counselling is, it’s a safe place. A place where someone will listen and really listen.  That’s something I hadn’t had before. Who would really want to listen to all the ‘stuff’ in my head? The things I had seen, things I had experienced? My counsellor did. Slowly, I began to find me again, the me that had been buried beneath the fake smile and the ‘I’m OK’ attitude.