It’s normal to be nervous and feel emotional during counselling

Almost every single person has been nervous before their first counselling appointment, sometimes before each session too. Knowing that you’re going to be spending a set amount of time talking about your problems is an intimidating thought. Nerves are a perfectly normal (and common) feeling.

Equally, our emotions can be complicated. Sometimes we don’t know how to regulate them; sometimes we bury them deep inside so we don’t feel anything; sometimes we struggle to identify emotions; sometimes we learn that showing any kind of emotion is a big no-no. Often, people try and hold their emotions together because they don’t want to appear weak or cry in a therapy session. However, displaying emotions and sometimes crying are a necessary part of the counselling process and may be a way to heal. A good counsellor will be able to hold you and your emotions without making it feel like a shameful act. 

Therapy can enable you to cry if you need to, feeling like a release or “letting go”, yet the aim isn’t for you to feel out of control or overwhelmed.