Counselling is right for you if you're facing emotional, mental, or situational challenges that are affecting your well-being, relationships, or daily functioning — and you'd like a safe space to talk, gain insight, or explore strategies for change.

You don't need to be in crisis to benefit. Counselling can help with:

• Stress, anxiety, or depression
• Relationship issues
• Trauma or loss
• Life transitions or identity questions
• Personal growth or self-esteem

Counselling helps by providing:

• A safe, non-judgmental space to express yourself
• Professional support from someone trained to listen, reflect, and guide
• New perspectives on problems and patterns
• Tools and strategies for coping, decision-making, and emotional regulation
• Deeper self-understanding and insight into your thoughts, behaviours, and relationships

The benefits build over time, especially if you’re open and committed to the process.

Many people who seek counselling are high-functioning and capable — they do manage well most of the time. But:

• If problems are repeating or lingering
• If you feel stuck or overwhelmed
• If you want to grow or gain clarity
  ...then counselling can still be a valuable tool.

It’s not a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of strength and self-awareness to know when extra support could help.

A typical individual counselling session:

• Lasts around 45 to 60 minutes
• Involves talking about what’s going on for you emotionally, mentally, or situationally
• May include goal-setting, emotional exploration, or skill-building
• Is guided by your needs and paced at your comfort level
• Is confidential (with exceptions like risk of harm)

In the first session, you and the therapist usually explore why you’re coming and what you hope to get out of it. You can also ask questions and see if it feels like a good fit.

Both can be helpful — they serve different but sometimes complementary purposes:

• Medication (like antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds) can help manage symptoms, especially when they're intense or interfering with daily life. It doesn’t “solve” the root causes but can create the stability needed to benefit from therapy.
• Psychotherapy (counselling) helps address the underlying emotional, psychological, or situational issues, often leading to deeper, longer-lasting change.

For many people, therapy alone is enough. Others benefit from a combination of both — especially in cases of moderate to severe depression, anxiety, trauma, or other conditions.