Playin' It Safe

If you’re having a difficult time with something in your life, it could help to talk.

If there is something that you find difficult or upsetting, have you ever asked yourself if you’d like to talk to someone about it? Lots of young people have counselling to help them with problems they want to keep private.

Why do people have counselling?

People get counselling when:

• They feel they can’t deal with a problem by themselves
• There are being affected by a problem they can’t seem to solve
• A problem keeps getting worse and not better
• They have emotions that make them sad or anxious
• They have problems with their relationships with others
• It becomes difficult to relate to their family

What problems can counselling help with?

People find counselling can help with lots of problems, like when:

• Something stops you from being yourself or feeling good about life
• You have a problem that you could control better, if you knew how

Counselling can stop you feeling helpless about your problems, and find ways of solving them.

Can't I just talk to a friend?

Everyone knows that friends can be really supportive, but there are some problems that they can’t help you with.

Counsellors are trained to support people through difficult issues, and make changes to improve their lives. Because they don’t know you they can give more objective advice on how to deal with your problems.

Friends can offer practical advice, but they often do not know how to help you get to the core of your problem. Friends and family can even sometimes be a part of the problem.

What about my privacy?

Counsellors are required by law to keep your problems private.

What if my problem is not with me, but with someone else?

Other people can cause problems. Although counselling can only change you, it might help you to bring the other person to get support too.

It can also:

• Show you how to deal with difficult people
• Help you deal with bad feelings that come from how others treat you
• Teach you how to change your relationship with others and gain more control over your social connections

How does counselling work?

A counsellor won’t "do" something to you to make you better. You have to work together and trust each other. The counsellor asks you questions that help you think about your feelings. They don’t have a set of right or wrong answers to these questions. They’re chosen to help you explore and understand your feelings.

Where can I get counselling?

If you want counselling you can visit your:

• GP
• Time 4U
• Connexions
• School nurse
• School pastoral service
• Sexual health clinic

Someone will be able to refer you to the service that best suits your needs.

Or for advice on which service would be good for you, call the Family Information Service Direct on
01905 790 560.

For more information and to have a look at the range of different services, check out the Worcestershire Little Directory.