5 Signs You Might Need Counselling

There is nothing wrong with having tough times, but sometimes these challenges can start affecting your daily life, relationships, or overall health. Counselling is a space to figure out what is going on and find a solution in a safe, non-judgmental setting.
Here are five signals that you might need to speak with a counsellor:

1. You Feel Trapped or Overwhelmed

We all feel stressed sometimes, but if it feels like you’re always carrying around a burden on your shoulders, counselling can help.

You might notice:

• You can’t make a decision and feel stuck in your head
• Everything’s too much effort—even the minor things
• You don’t have a clue which way to turn in life
• You feel like you’re splashing about but achieving nothing

A counsellor can help you work through your ideas, explore what is holding you back, and develop a clearer path forward.

2. Your Feelings Seem Impossible to Tame

Our feelings are like flag signals—but when they’re getting out of hand, jumbled, or hard to manage, they may be flagging to you that it’s time to talk to someone.

You might be feeling:

• Suddenly changing mood or intense emotional reactions
• Feeling nervous, upset, or irritable without knowing why
• Emotional flatness or feeling disconnected from life
• Too much stress or tension that won’t go away

Counselling can give you skills to know and deal with your emotions so that you can approach life with more balance and ease.

3. You’re Pulling Away from Others

When things are not going well on the inside, we often start to pull away from the people surrounding us—even our loved ones.

You might be:

• Avoiding friends, family, or social events
• Losing interest in things that used to make you happy
• Feeling like nobody understands you
• Wanting to be alone too much

Counselling helps you look at these feelings, re-establishing contact, and feeling supported instead of isolated.

4. You’re Struggling with a Life Transition

Life transitions—planned or unplanned—can stir up strong emotions and leave you feeling off balance.

This might include:

• Breakup or divorce relationships
• Loss of job or career change
• Having a child or being an empty nester
• Loss or death
• Moving to a new residence or starting over

Talking about these changes with another person can help you process your emotions, adapt more easily, and find strength when the future is uncertain.

5. You Keep Repeating Unhealthy Patterns

If you notice the same issues repeating over and over again in your life, counselling can help you break the cycle.

You might notice:

• Repeating self-destructive relationship patterns
• Undermining your goals or progress
• Slipping into the same habits or coping strategies that fail
• Getting trapped in the same cycles of emotions (e.g., guilt, shame, resentment)

A counsellor may be able to help you recognize where these cycles are originating and how to create healthier, more empowering ones.

Final Thought

You don’t need to wait until things feel out of control to get help. Counselling is not only for crisis—it’s for healing, growth, and understanding yourself better. If any of these indicators ring true, calling could be the beginning of feeling better. If you’re looking for counselling in Christchurch/canterbury area enquire on my website by clicking here.