Why Counselling or Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy or counselling can help individuals, couples or families to resolve problems through an exploration of underlying issues thereby enabling people to live more fruitfully. These are powerful therapies which do not simply cover up or suppress unwelcome thoughts and feelings as does the taking of drugs (either on prescription or through self-medication with alcohol, tobacco or other substances). Although drugs and medicinal treatments may be helpful in the alleviation of feelings of distress, they cannot even begin to address the fundamental issues of living that have caused the distress in the first place. Counselling and psychotherapy help people to address these underlying issues by providing a medium through which they can examine their actions, thoughts, emotions, responses and ways of relating; identify limitations and possibilities; and make choices about how to live.

In times of distress, psychotherapy may bring comfort by providing a trained professional to listen and validate the client's feelings while maintaining confidentiality, but much more than this, a counsellor or psychotherapist may be able to help individuals, couples or families to make the changes in their lives that may be necessary to provide a brighter future.