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Learn more about counselling
Counselling is a talking-based therapeutic approach that provides a structured, confidential space to explore personal difficulties, develop self-understanding, and work through specific challenges. It is practised by trained counsellors who draw on a range of humanistic, integrative, and person-centred frameworks.
Counselling tends to be more focused on present concerns and specific issues than longer-term psychotherapy, though the distinction between the two is not always clear in practice. Many practitioners work across both traditions. Counsellors are trained to listen without judgement, help clients identify patterns and options, and support them in making changes that feel meaningful.
In counselling, the therapist creates a consistent, non-judgemental space in which the client can speak freely about what is troubling them. The approach is led by the client's concerns rather than a fixed protocol.
Sessions may involve:
- Exploring the thoughts, feelings, and circumstances around a presenting difficulty
- Identifying unhelpful patterns and considering what might need to change
- Developing greater self-awareness and emotional clarity
- Building practical coping skills for specific situations
- Processing experiences that have been difficult to talk about elsewhere
Counselling is a broad and flexible approach. The following are among the most common areas where people find it useful.
Adjustment disorders
Adjustment disorders, difficulties coping with a specific life event or stressor, are a natural and well-established fit for counselling. The approach helps people process what has changed, build resilience, and find a sustainable path forward.
Adolescents
Counselling is widely used with teenagers navigating identity, peer relationships, academic pressure, and family change. It provides a confidential space outside the family system and school environment, which many young people find easier to engage with.
Academic or educational problems
For people struggling with academic pressure, learning difficulties, motivation, or transitions between educational stages, counselling offers practical and emotional support. It helps clients separate what is situational from what might need longer-term attention.
Autism
Counselling is used with autistic adults and young people to support emotional wellbeing, communication, and navigating social and professional contexts. It is adapted to the individual, with practitioners who have experience of autism taking a more structured and explicit approach.
Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
Finding a counsellor who works in your language, understands your cultural context, and has experience with your specific concerns can take longer than it should. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a counsellor, or browse all counsellors in the directory.
