Being heard is not a small thing: a counsellor’s thoughts for World Mental Health Day
Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is “Lived Experiences Heard “.
As a counsellor, I can confirm that’s a fair chunk of the job description.
Something I notice repeatedly in the therapy room is how often people apologise for talking. “Sorry, I’m rambling.” “It’s probably nothing.” “Other people have it much worse.” Often this is someone who has been quietly holding it together for years. Managing the stress, the persistent pain, the grief, the 10pm comfort eating they don’t tell anyone about. Getting on with it, because that’s what you do.
And then someone actually listens. Not to fix it, compare it, or suggest they try yoga. Just listens. And something slowly starts to shift.
That isn’t just a nice feeling. When we feel safe and genuinely heard, our nervous system starts to settle. The body stops bracing quite so hard. It becomes easier to think clearly, to notice what’s really going on, and to tune back into what your body is really asking for.
That’s often where change starts, long before any clever techniques come into it.
Being heard isn’t the same as getting advice.
Most people already know what they “should” do. What they rarely get is space to say how it actually is, out loud, without anyone flinching or rushing to tidy it up.
So, for World Mental Health Day, three small things:
Notice where you minimise. If you catch yourself saying “it’s fine” when it isn’t, that’s worth paying attention to.
Tell one person one true thing. Not the whole story. Just something real.
Listen to someone without fixing. It’s harder than it sounds, and it might be the most useful thing you do all week.
If you’ve been carrying something on your own for a while, maybe it’s time someone else heard it too?
I offer counselling and hypnotherapy online, wherever you are, and face to face in Monmouth. If you’d like a chat about whether it could help, I offer a free discovery call. No pressure, just a conversation.
Allyson
