OverviewCounselling is a type of talking therapy or psychological therapy. It involves talking to a counsellor about your problems. Counsellors are trained to listen sympathetically and can help you deal with any negative thoughts and feelings.

People sometimes use the word counselling to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a specific type of therapy.

Talking therapies can be used to treat numerous health conditions, including:
- depression
- anxiety
- borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- long-term illnesses
- eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia
- drug misuse

Practitioner/sClaire Clarke (Action on Addiction)