What Do You Talk About in Therapy?

If you've never had counselling before, you might wonder what you're supposed to talk about.

Do you need to arrive with a list of problems? Will your therapist ask lots of questions? Are you expected to talk about your childhood, your relationships or every difficult thing that's ever happened to you?

The honest answer is that you can talk about whatever feels important to you.

Some people come to therapy because of anxiety, stress, low mood or relationship difficulties. Others are trying to make sense of a life change, a health diagnosis, grief or a feeling that they've somehow lost themselves. Some people don't know exactly why they've come. They simply know that life doesn't feel quite right.

All of those reasons are valid.

In person-centred counselling, there isn't a script to follow or a checklist of topics we have to cover. We begin with what's on your mind. That might be something that happened this morning, something you've been carrying for years or even the fact that you're not sure what to talk about.

Sometimes people worry they'll run out of things to say. In reality, conversations tend to develop naturally. As trust grows, you may find yourself talking about things you hadn't expected to, making connections you hadn't noticed before or understanding yourself in ways you hadn't considered.

You don't have to organise your thoughts before you arrive or know exactly where to begin. We can untangle things together, one conversation at a time, at a pace that feels comfortable for you.

Therapy isn't about talking about what your counsellor thinks is important. It's about exploring what matters to you.

At Pebbleshed Therapy, I offer online person-centred counselling for adults across the UK. If you're wondering what counselling might be like, you're welcome to book a free 20-minute initial consultation. It's a relaxed opportunity to ask questions, find out how I work and see whether we'd like to work together, with no obligation to book further sessions.