We Tried Being Counsellors… It Was Not Easy 😭🙏

 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 thinking about what to say next how to sound “professional,” and also hoping I didn’t mess it up.

And then came my biggest mistake advice giving.

The moment they shared something, I went: “You should just do this…” “It’ll be fine…”

Basically, I became their friend instead of their counsellor 😭 But as our classes continued, something clicked. I realised counselling is not about giving advice, it’s about helping the person understand themselves, and that’s when I started actually using the skills we learned.

Instead of jumping in, I tried paraphrasing, repeating what they said in my own words.
I used reflection, focusing on their feelings instead of just their situation.

So instead of fixing things I started saying things like
“It sounds like this really affected you.” And somehow… that worked better.

The conversation felt deeper. More meaningful. Less rushed. Then came the silence.

And let me tell you those few seconds felt like hours.

I was sitting there thinking, “Say something.” “No, don’t say something.” “Why is this so quiet???” 😭

But I learned that silence is not awkward in counselling. It’s space, space for the other person to think and feel. Slowly, I started getting more comfortable. Not perfect, but better.

Looking back, I went from:
👉 “I’ll be an amazing counsellor 😌”
to
👉 “This is harder than I thought 😭”

But that’s exactly why this experience mattered, because now I understand that counselling is not just about being a good listener or saying the right things.

It’s about being present, patient, and knowing when to speak and when not to. And honestly, that’s something I’m still learning.

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