When difficult thoughts and emotions are suppressed, they often come out in other ways, either mentally or physically, or both. It is well known that there can be such a huge sense of relief when sharing something extremely distressing that may well have been bottled up inside for days, months, or even years.

Counselling provides an opportunity to talk in private about those difficult thoughts or feelings you might be having, in a way that might be difficult to do so with friends or family. Psychotherapy works in the same way and tends to be more on a long term basis, whereas counselling is generally considered to be for a shorter time period.

A counsellor/psychotherapist is trained to listen and help you explore your feelings without judging you, which can make a big difference to the way you feel. Helping you to understand why you are feeling or behaving in a certain way usually leads to more effective ways of coping, enabling you to have greater control of your life.