There are many good reasons to see a counsellor. But how do you decide? Let's look at two basic questions:

1. Do I want to go to counselling at all, and
2. Am I better off going to a face-to-face counsellor or trying online counselling?

Here are some questions to ask yourself. Hopefully they help you make a decision about whether counselling is right for you:

(To decide between face to face and online counselling you'll want to follow the link after the question list)

• Do you want to hear the ideas of someone who is not invovled in your struggles? Friends and family can be helpful. But they have a connection to you. And you share a history. A counsellor comes from outside. They will "tell it like it is".
• Have you experienced major changes in your life? Are you finding them hard to deal with?
• Do you feel it's time to deal with things from your past?
• Are you looking for information and resources so that you can deal with your personal concerns in new ways?
• Are you concerned about issues that are too intimate to discuss with friends and family?
• Have you tried to help yourself but the problem is still there?
• Maybe nothing is wrong at all! Maybe you just want to "be all you can be". And want a professional to assist you in the journey toward healthy personal growth.

Self help books, support groups and workshops can be very beneficial. But sometimes a personal, one-on-one approach is needed. If you answered yes to any of the questions above it is probably time to seek counselling. Caring professionals can help you to find the solutions that will work for you.

And if you're nodding your head so far, then your next decision is whether to go to face-to-face or to try online counselling. Follow this link to compare online and face-to-face methods.