{"id":1078,"date":"2021-07-19T06:02:56","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T06:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andywolagecounselling.co.uk\/?page_id=1078"},"modified":"2022-06-16T11:20:05","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T11:20:05","slug":"why-i-became-a-counsellor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/andywolagecounselling.co.uk\/index.php\/why-i-became-a-counsellor\/","title":{"rendered":"My counselling journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1078\" class=\"elementor elementor-1078\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6f0f179b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6f0f179b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-59037e19\" data-id=\"59037e19\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24281e5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"24281e5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The slogan for the BACP &#8211; the largest regulatory body for counselling in the UK &#8211; is &#8216;Counselling Changes Lives&#8217;. Here&#8217;s why I believe this to be true.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many of us, I have made many mistakes and poor decisions, and have had my share of anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I first went to counselling with some scepticism, in an attempt to improve my day to day life experience. I was doubtful that it would achieve anything. I was wrong.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having the opportunity to talk about my emotions, feelings and triggers was a revelation. I had simply never examined myself in this way before. I found that the more I looked into myself the more I understood why I behave and react in the way I do. I found ways of noticing triggers and stress as they built up. I examined past episodes of my life which were a source of guilt and shame, and reframed them, looking at the choices I made, what alternatives I had and why I followed the option I did.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the words of RuPaul &#8211; &#8220;If you can&#8217;t love yourself, how are you going to love somebody else?&#8221; By learning to understand and accept my own way of being and to be kinder to myself, my relationships with others improved in turn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It hasn&#8217;t always been a comfortable experience, but counselling has profoundly changed my life. I am now calmer, kinder and in many ways more like the person I want to be. I am still far from perfect but I am getting a little better, day by day. A work in progress.<\/p>\n<p>Following my experiences as a client, I decided to train as a counsellor. I have spent five years training, and two years working at an agency specialising in clients with substance abuse issues. I feel very privileged to be able walk alongside clients on their journey to a better life.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The slogan for the BACP &#8211; the largest regulatory body for counselling in the UK &#8211; is &#8216;Counselling Changes Lives&#8217;. Here&#8217;s why I believe this to be true. Like many of us, I have made many mistakes and poor decisions, and have had my share of anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties. I first went to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1078","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The slogan for the BACP \u2013 the largest regulatory body for counselling in the UK \u2013 is \u2018Counselling Changes Lives\u2019. 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