1. A listening ear.  We all know that a problem shared is a problem halved.  And being listened to by a professional counsellor can help you to clarify for yourself exactly what is bothering you, and what your goals are in relation to that clarified problem.

2. Reassurance: When you consult a reputable counsellor and talk about your problems, you can feel very reassured that your situation is probably not as hopeless as you had thought.

3. Appropriate advice: If you go to a cognitive counsellor, you will get advice on how to improve your situation by changing some specific aspect of your thinking, or your behaviour.  When you change your thinking and behaviour, your emotions tend to fall in line.

If you consult me you will get all three of those benefits: a listening ear; reassurance; and appropriate advice. In addition, I will help you to:

• 1. Identify what went wrong in your past.
• 2. Understand how that has affected you.
• 3. And to complete your experience of what went wrong, so you can digest it and let it go.

I will also provide you with written materials that provide detailed background information of how particular emotions are created, and how to manage and reduce them; how behaviour is related to thinking; and so on.

You will also get an attentive relationship of care and consideration.

Here are a further eight aims and benefits of counselling, which are amongst fifteen benefits identified by Dr John McLeod's (2003 book) An Introduction to Counselling::

1. Insight into how emotional disturbances are caused, and how to think your way out of emotional difficulties.

2. Developing the ability to relate better to significant others - to develop relationship skills.

3. Becoming more aware of your own thoughts and feelings, so you can manage them better.

4. Learning to accept yourself with all your faults and frailties as being okay and acceptable.

5. Developing solutions to specific problems, and becoming a more effective problem solver.

6. Learning psychological models to understand and control your behaviour.

7. Learning how to identify and change irrational beliefs, or faulty lenses through which you view your world.

8. Learning how to identify and change maladaptive or self-defeating behaviours.

More than 85% of my clients experience my service as very good or excellent; and report achieving the result for which they came to see me. Another 10% do not respond to exit questionnaires. In a very small number of cases, very, very rarely, an individual may seem not to be benefiting from working with me, or with the kind of therapy that I use, and in such cases I recommend that they try one of my colleagues, who may be better able to help.

However, it is important to note that the vast majority of people who come to see me, and to work on their problems with me, achieve dramatic results, and find that they quickly, and durably, get over their emotional, behavioural and relationship disturbances. As long as they keep reviewing the work we did together, they can continue to help themselves for a lifetime.

Now I want to present a brief video clip on the benefits of counselling, which I made some time ago.  It will be replaced with an updated version soon:

"Dear Jim. ... Around session three, the anger just drained out of me. Sessions four and five gave me some great insights and skills. I'm much better with my wife and my kids, and we all enjoy each other's company so much more. I just feel so much more laid back. I cannot imagine getting angry about the things that used to send me insane!" H.T., Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. (Five sessions of anger management coaching).

"Dear Jim, Thankyou for sharing your anxiety-reducing techniques with me. They're helpful when things get bad. I have my panic under control". N.G., Ilkley, West Yorkshire. (Four sessions of counselling for anxiety and panic attacks).

"I took an online depression test before I consulted you. I have just re-taken that test, four months later. Huge difference! I went from 'severely depressed' to 'within normal range'! I'm in the clear and feeling good! Thanks". P.P., Brittany, France. (Four sessions of telephone counselling).

There are about three dozen such testimonials on my website. (See the Unsolicited Client Testimonials page on my website).