Starting counselling can feel a lot like a first date you didn’t quite sign up for. There’s the nervous anticipation, the quiet self-talk (“What if this is awkward?”), and the fear that you won’t know what to say once you sit down. Standing on the edge of that decision, it’s easy to wonder whether you’ll feel exposed, judged, or somehow “do it wrong.” That hesitation makes sense. Opening yourself up - even a little - to someone new takes courage.

The reassuring truth is this: counselling isn’t a performance or a test. You don’t need the right words, a dramatic backstory, or a clear reason for being there. You can arrive unsure, quiet, overwhelmed, or rambling - and that’s already enough. Unlike a bad first date, there’s no pressure to impress or explain yourself perfectly. Counselling meets you exactly where you are, at your pace, in your own words. Often, what begins with uncertainty becomes something unexpectedly gentle: a space where you don’t have to hold everything together alone, and where taking yourself seriously is not only allowed, but encouraged.