What is counselling?

Counselling is a type of therapy where a trained professional listens and helps you manage your feelings. Not everyone needs or wants counselling. Some siblings do find it helpful at certain times in their life.

There are lots of different types of counselling, and therapy, and many of them can be done in person or online.

Remember: it is always important to speak to an adult, like a parent or guardian, you trust before starting any counselling.

Who else can I speak to?

Counselling is not the only way to speak about your feelings and find ways to deal with them.

Many people we speak to say friends and family are a really important support network. Sometimes it may feel hard to speak to those close to you about something upsetting, but it can really help to speak through how you feel.

If you are struggling to speak to a friend or someone in your family, there could be a trusted adult, like your favourite teacher, that you would want to speak to instead.

Although sometimes you might not want to speak to someone you know. If you’re 18 or under Childline provide free advice and someone to chat to. You can either call them on 0800 1111 or send them a message online.

If you’re over 18, the Samaritans are a phone call away: 116 123.

There are also other charities that might be able to help, you can find those in our charities section. If you’re looking to meet up with others who have experienced bereavement, and have spoken to an adult about it, then head to our ‘meet ups' section.