Introducing Counselling: A Practical Guide

We feel valued, understood, liked, wanted, significant, as if we matter to someone.

ow to be ‘whole’ by becoming more self-aware, taking into account their mind, body and soul.

his therapy focuses on the whole of a person’s experience – thoughts, feelings and actions – by concentrating on the ‘here and now’, and what is happening from moment to moment. This includes the sensations they are experiencing in their body, as well as their thoughts and feelings

us, it is important to hold these to one side so we don’t assume they are the same feelings experienced by the person we are listening to.

That is why when you are listened to, and when there is a real interest and engagement shown in all aspects of your story, it makes a great impact on you

People invariably communicate on a number of different levels simultaneously. Attentive listening as a counselling skill picks up information from these different levels and communicates them back to the person, although not all in one go, as this would be too overwhelming. People often don’t realize just how much they communicate, and so attentive listening is a means of using what has been said and not said, offered back in a supportive and therapeutic way.

We get so used to ‘zoning out’ or filtering what we hear that we can often just be listening for what we want to hear, or are waiting for a gap in the conversation so we can get in with what we want to say.