Young People

Counselling for young people

You may be struggling with how you feel. You may be having problems with friends, family or school. Or perhaps things are going ‘OK’ but you don’t feel OK.  

You may feel anxious, depressed, angry or scared and need to talk to someone. But you may not feel comfortable talking to friends about what’s on your mind for many reasons. 

It can be difficult to take the first step, and many people feel somewhat hesitant, but seeking help is a very positive thing to do and we are here to offer support. A counsellor will not tell you what to do, but will encourage you to talk about what is on your mind so that together you can think about root causes and about what can change.

Click here to register for counselling with Cogwheel.

Questions you may have

Counselling is an opportunity to talk about difficult feelings or experiences to someone who will listen to you. Counsellors help young people with worries and other problems and may be able to help you to make sense of some of your thoughts and feelings. It will happen in a friendly room at Cogwheel Counselling. In the room there are arts and crafts that you can use to help you express how you feel.

Each session will last about 50 minutes (just under an hour). The first time you meet with your counsellor he or she will be able to give you an idea as to how many times you will come to Cogwheel Counselling. Once you have begun counselling you will see the same counsellor each week.

Maybe things are tough at home or school or you are feeling sad or unhappy. You may be struggling with a specific issue or feeling confused, worried, muddled or unsure about your situation. Many different people come to counselling – children, teenagers and adults – and it is a space to think about how you feel and to help you with these feelings.

You can tell others you are coming to Cogwheel Counselling – it is not a secret – but you don’t have to.

You can talk about anything you want to when you come to Cogwheel Counselling. There is nothing you should or shouldn’t talk about, and nothing too big or small to talk about. Our counsellors will not be judging you or your family.

What you talk about is private and confidential. Your counsellor will not tell anyone what you talk about unless they are really worried that you may not be safe. If the counsellor does feel they need to talk to someone else about what you have said, they will always try and tell you first.

Counselling can be talking but can also be drawing, writing or other ways of expressing how you feel.  The counselling rooms at Cogwheel Counselling have art materials which you can use in your counselling sessions.