Feeling unsure about starting counselling

April 2026

People rarely contact a counsellor the first time they think about it.

Often, there is a period beforehand where something feels difficult, but not easy to explain. You might be getting through the week, doing what needs to be done, and still know that something is taking more out of you than it used to.

Some people wonder whether things are “bad enough” to ask for help. Others worry that they should be able to cope, or that talking about things might make them feel more real.

You might have thought about counselling after a difficult conversation, a change in a relationship, a loss, a period of anxiety, or a sense that you keep reacting in ways you don’t fully understand.

There does not have to be one clear reason for starting counselling.

Sometimes the wish for counselling starts quietly. You may notice yourself feeling more tired, more irritable, more tearful, or more distant from people around you. You may find yourself going over the same thoughts repeatedly, or feeling less like yourself than you used to.

Reaching out does not mean you have failed to cope. It may simply mean that carrying things on your own has started to feel too much.

I offer counselling in Whitstable from a quiet garden room. If you are feeling unsure about starting counselling, we can begin with whatever feels most relevant to you now and take it from there.