by Claire Hastings, Counsellor at InnerMe Counselling.
It’s a question that often comes up when someone is at a bit of a crossroads.
Maybe something feels stuck. Maybe there’s a quiet unease, a heaviness, or a sense that life doesn’t quite feel how it should. Or perhaps there’s been a change, something unexpected, something painful and now there’s a need to make sense of it all.
At its heart, counselling is about change and growth, but it doesn’t have to begin with a big moment or a clear plan. Often, it begins with a small question:
“What is it I want to change?”
That question can look like many things.
It might be wanting to feel less anxious, less heavy, less stuck.
It could be the hope that old emotional scars we carry might finally be seen, acknowledged and soothed.
Sometimes it's about understanding why you react the way you do or trying to understand why something doesn’t feel quite right but you can’t name it.
And sometimes we just need a safe space to explore our innermost thoughts and feelings or to help us to bring things into focus and understand ourselves and our situation a little bit more.
There are a lot of ideas out there about what counselling is supposed to be.
Some people think they need to be in crisis to start. Others worry they won’t know what to say, or that their problems aren’t “big enough.”
As a Counsellor I’ve heard “There must be others who need this more than I do.”
A belief that unless it’s big or dramatic, it doesn’t count.
But counselling is about whatever is concerning you. It’s about you.
Whatever has been sitting with you, quietly or loudly. If it’s on your mind or weighing you down, then it matters.
In the counselling space, you don’t need to have all the words. You don’t need to have it all figured out.
My role isn’t to give you answers or fix anything for you. It is to be beside you, with care and curiosity.
To listen, to notice, and to gently help you explore what’s going on beneath the surface, at your pace, in your way, in your time.
Counselling is a process, not a quick fix.
There may be weeks where something changes, and others where it feels like nothing is moving at all.
That’s okay.
You might come to feel more settled, clearer, more in tune with yourself.
Or you might simply feel less alone in what you're holding, and that, in itself, can be the change.
Interested in beginning counselling?
I offer counselling online and by telephone, allowing you to access support from wherever feels comfortable and private for you.
If you’re wondering whether counselling might be right for you, you’re very welcome to get in touch and explore more about how I work.
About Me: I’m Claire Hastings, a BACP-registered counsellor and founder of InnerMe Counselling. I work online and by telephone with people across the UK and Europe, supporting those navigating the emotional challenges that can arise during life’s transitions. You can find out more about how I work at www.innerme-counselling.co.uk
Tags: WhatIsCounselling?, BenefitsOfCounselling, OnlineCounsellingUK, PersonCentredCounsellor, CounsellingForAnxiety
© Claire Hastings T/A InnerMe Counselling (Trademark pending)