Counselling

Looking after our emotional wellbeing is just as important as diet and exercise if we want to remain well but, in our society, we are not encouraged to consider our feelings.

We do not live in a vacuum and events outside of ourselves affect us in different ways: If we listen to the feelings provoked by these events they can guide us into making positive choices for ourselves (putting us in charge of our own lives). If we don't listen, we are often surprised when we find it difficult to function, with many areas of our lives affected.

Depression, anxiety, difficulties with relationships, stress, burn-out and physical illness are all common responses to this kind of neglect. Often people don't even know how to begin to deal with these responses.

Understand how you feel

Counselling is a highly effective way of helping to explore feelings and thoughts. Some of these are just out of our awareness – and counselling can help to focus on them. By becoming more self-aware we can then take steps to address the areas of our lives that are causing difficulties.

Counselling is effective when a person is understood and accepted. Confidentiality and non-judgement are offered so that a person can be honest with themselves. Counsellors do not give advice or direct people, instead they help people to find their own resources.

For more information on how counselling can help you please visit www.aileengeorgecounselling.com or BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.