Counselling as a therapy and therapeutic process does not provide a cure to a person’s mental illness nor aims to solve life’s challenges. However, counselling can help improve a person’s quality of life whether this means exploring relationship issues or perception of self as one gets older or coping with a disability or chronic health condition. Some other ways of ‘doing’ change in counselling are described below (AIFS, 2016).

• Positive expectations and hope

• Relationship factors (trust, caring)

• Permission to explore new areas

• Telling a personal story

• Feeling understood and heard

• Facing fears

• Reduction of stress

• New insights and understandings

• Suggestions for problem solving

• Focus on present, past and future

• Social support

• New options and alternatives

• Understanding past behaviour

• Future planning

A therapist may use a number of counselling therapies or approaches in working with a person through their problem or challenge and in that process, facilitate self-understanding for their client.

What makes a difference for you in counselling?

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