Thoughts from a Psychology Student

When I first heard about counselling, I imagined the relationship between a counsellor and a client to be very formal. Like a simple interaction sit, talk, give responses, and leave. No emotions, no connection, nothing personal. Just professional work being done. But after actually learning it, I realised it’s not that simple at all. Somewhere between the first awkward “hi” and those slightly more comfortable conversations later something starts to change. The space becomes less formal and safer. The other person starts opening up not just about what happened but about how they actually feel. And that’s when it hit me… this is not just a conversation anymore. It’s not friendship, obviously. There’s no texting, no “let’s hang out,” no random reels being shared after the session 😭 But at the same time, it’s not nothing either. It’s this very specific kind of connection where for that moment the person feels heard, understood, and not judged. And honestly that kind of space is rare. ...

 Before learning counselling skills, I genuinely thought helping someone was easy. If a friend came to me with a problem, I would listen for two minutes and then confidently say, “Just do this, it’ll be fine.” In my head, I was solving lives😔 But the moment we actually started doing counselling practicals, I realised something very important, helping is not the same as counselling😭 The first thing that hit me was active listening . I thought I was listening but I was actually just waiting for my turn to speak. When I tried to fully focus on the other person no interruptions, no planning my reply I noticed they started opening up more. It felt like the conversation became deeper just because I was actually present . Then came empathy . Earlier, I would relate everything back to myself, like “I’ve gone through this too.” But in counselling, I had to stop doing that and just stay with their feelings. It felt strange at first, but it made the other person feel more understood inst...

 The first time I became a counsellor, I was so nervous .  In class, everything made sense. Counselling felt easy. You just listen, understand, and help the person… right? But the moment I actually had to do it , my brain went blank. I sat there thinking, okay… say something. Why am I not saying anything??  Why is this so awkward??  😭 Talking about counselling is one thing. Actually sitting in front of someone and knowing they’re about to share something real? That’s a completely different experience. So I did what any normal person would do—I took a deep breath, tried to look calm, and started with the basics. I focused on building rapport . No pressure, no deep questions. Just trying to make the other person feel comfortable enough to talk. And surprisingly… it worked they started opening up. And suddenly I was like,  wait… this is real now. I have to respond properly. I listened carefully trying not to interrupt. But in my head, it was chaos. I was think...

 Walking into a counselling session sounds simple in theory. But in reality? It’s slightly awkward. You’re sitting across from someone you’ve just met and there’s this silent expectation like “Okay… now share your thoughts, feelings, and maybe your entire life story.” No pressure at all 😭 But here’s the thing counselling doesn’t actually start with deep questions. It starts with something much more important: building a counselling relationship. Before anything serious happens the counsellor focuses on making the client feel comfortable. This can be through a calm tone, a welcoming attitude, or just simple conversation. It may not seem like much, but this first step matters a lot. Because let’s be honest no one is going to open up to a complete stranger instantly. This is where rapport comes in. Rapport is basically the feeling of trust and comfort between the counsellor and the client. It’s what makes the space feel safe instead of awkward. And building rapport is not about sayin...

 Before studying counselling psychology, I thought therapy was just talking about your problems while the counsellor sits there like 👁👄👁 and occasionally says something deep. But turns out… therapy actually has rules. Like serious rules. And no, they’re not suggestions 😭 These rules are called ethics , and they basically make sure the counsellor doesn’t accidentally ruin someone’s life First and most important confidentiality . Which means whatever you say in therapy… stays in therapy. So no, your counsellor is not going home like, “Guys, you won’t beleive what my client said today—” No. Immediately no 😂 But okay there are some exceptions like if someone is in danger. So it’s not just secret-keeping, it’s responsible secret-keeping. Next comes no judging . A counsellor could hear the most shocking thing ever and still respond with, “I understand… tell me more.” Meanwhile, me as a friend would be like, “EXCUSE ME???” 😭 Then we have boundaries . Counsellors are not your best fr...

At some point in life almost everyone has had that one moment where they think, “You know what? I’d actually be a great therapist.” Usually after giving one solid piece of advice and watching your friend go “wow, that actually helped.” It feels like a sign. Like… maybe this is your calling. But then counselling psychology enters your life and very politely says, “calm down.” 😭   Afteractually studying it I realised something very interesting not everyone who wants to become a counsellor should become one. And no, this is not a personal attack on anyone (including past me🧏‍♀️). Sometimes people are drawn to counselling for reasons that are a little… questionable. For example, some people think becoming a counsellor will help them fix their own life. Like, “I’ll just help others and magically heal myself in the process.” Sounds nice but therapy doesn’t work like a buy-one-get-one-free offer 😭 Then there are people who are just lonely and think this profession means unlimited deep ...