What should I talk about in counselling?

Sometimes it happens; you book a counselling session, you’ve put it in the diary, you show up, you sit down, and suddenly your mind goes totally blank. Even if you’ve spent all week thinking about things you wanted to talk about, when you arrive, you might still have no idea where to begin.

This is a really common experience in therapy, and rest assured you don’t need to have prepared a speech about what you’ve been struggling with or a list of goals you’d like to achieve, it’s okay to start with whatever you’re feeling in the moment, even if it’s nervous, embarrassed, or upset.

If you’ve gone completely blank, this can even be a part of the conversation. Maybe you’re afraid of being judged or are worried that your concerns aren’t important enough. Perhaps it even feels strange to hold somebody’s full attention.

Sometimes people bring notes, sometimes people like to arrive with a blank slate and no agenda, others like to know exactly what will be covered in a session, there is no wrong way of turning up.

Counselling doesn’t have to feel like a performance, it can be perfectly normal to not know where to begin, and to let the session unfold naturally.

If you would like to explore counselling, you are welcome to contact me for an informal, no-pressure conversation.