Is This Therapy-Appropriate? Asking for a Friend..
- Haide Giesbrecht
- Oct 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Wondering what you can talk about in counselling? From crying and laughter to spirituality and everyday stress, discover what’s welcome in therapy and how a session can become a safe, healing space to explore your story.
What Do People Talk About in Counselling?
Have you ever found yourself wondering what people talk about in a counselling session?Or maybe you’ve been sitting on the couch in your therapist’s office, wondering whether what’s on your mind is too personal or too provocative to bring up.
Is there anything you can’t talk about in therapy?
When people first come to counselling, they often feel unsure about what to expect or what to say. For some, their only reference point is what they’ve seen on TV. You might picture a client lying on a couch while a therapist silently takes notes, or someone staring at the clock and offering only the occasional “Mm-hmm.”
(As an aside: While some therapists do take notes, it’s usually to track ideas or themes to revisit later.)
The truth is that therapy is a relational process. While the focus is on you and your experience, your therapist isn’t a passive observer. They are an active participant – a guide walking alongside you on your journey.
What Am I Allowed to Talk About in Therapy?
It’s completely natural to wonder, “What do I even talk about in counselling?” or “Am I allowed to bring this up?”
Even clients who’ve been in therapy for years sometimes find themselves questioning what’s “okay” to share.
There are many reasons for this hesitation:
Uncertainty: Counselling may feel like unfamiliar territory.
Fear of judgment: You may worry that your thoughts are “too much.”
Guilt or self-comparison: Maybe you think others have it worse.
Family rules: Perhaps you grew up with messages like “Don’t talk about family business” or “Keep things private.”
But here’s the truth:
Your counselling session is your safe space. Anything that impacts you emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually belongs there.
No topic is too small or too large. What feels insignificant may lead to meaningful insight, and what feels overwhelming often becomes more manageable when shared with a compassionate listener.
What You Can Bring to Counselling
After more than 25 years as a counsellor, here are some of the things I’ve seen clients talk about, and all of them are welcome.
💧 Cry
Many people apologize for crying in session. It’s not necessary! Crying is a natural way for your body to release emotion. There’s a reason I keep tissues close at hand. You’re neither the first nor the last person to cry in this space.
😂 Laugh
You might not expect it, but laughter has its place in therapy. Counselling explores the fullness of life – sometimes heavy, sometimes light. Laughter can be part of healing too.
🌊 Have Big Emotions
Strong emotions can feel uncomfortable, but therapists are trained to sit with them. Emotions are just indicators that something is going on – they are neither right nor wrong. Every emotion is welcome; there will be no judgement.
🌿 Be Yourself
If there’s ever a space where the real you is invited, it’s in counselling. Here, you can safely experiment with being authentic, even with the parts of yourself you’ve learned to hide.
⚡ Talk About “Sticky” Subjects
Sex, physical challenges, dark thoughts, or self-doubt? Nothing is off limits. There are no taboo topics in a counselling office.
✨ Talk About Spirituality
We are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings. Whatever your beliefs or experiences, your spirituality belongs in the room. Your counsellor doesn’t need to share your faith to hold space for it.
😤 Express Frustration
This isn’t “complaining.” It’s healthy expression of emotion and can point to deeper hurts or unacknowledged expectations. Everyone deserves a safe place to speak freely.
💬 Talk About Relationships
Discussing relationships in counselling isn’t gossip. Growth happens when we begin to understand how we relate in our relationships. Talk about relationship patterns in counselling is about understanding dynamics, finding healthy boundaries, and nurturing your wellbeing.
⏳ Share Current Stressors
Work, parenting, school, finances, or everyday life – these are real and valid. Talking through daily stressors can bring clarity and relief. Sharing experiences can often help make sense of their impact in our lives. There is great power in knowing we are not alone.
🕊 Talk About Past Experiences
Old wounds, childhood memories, trauma – whatever has shaped your story can be explored. Counselling may be the space where you give word to things previously unspoken. Counselling can help you make sense of your past so you can move forward with compassion for yourself.
☕ Bring the “Mundane”
Even the ordinary parts of life belong in therapy. Sometimes what feels minor reveals deeper patterns worth exploring.
👨👩👧 Talk About Your Parents
Most parents do the best they can with what they’ve known and lived. And sometimes, it still wasn’t enough. Counselling offers space to hold both truths – to honour their humanity and your unmet needs.
Every Counselling Journey Is Unique
Counselling is a space to grieve, to reflect, to find support, to be challenged, and to heal. No two sessions look the same.
Some clients come in with a list. Others start with, “I’m not sure what to talk about today.” Both approaches – and everything in between – are perfectly okay.
There’s no right or wrong way to do counselling.
What matters is that you show up as you are.
Therapists are trained to ask thoughtful questions, notice what’s unsaid, and hold space for whatever emerges. If you’ve ever wondered what you could talk about in a session, start right where you are.
~ Haide
Reflection Questions
What feels heavy right now that might feel lighter if you shared it with a supportive person?
What have you been carrying quietly on your own?
Have you had an opportunity to be seen and heard for who you are? If not, what would it be like to be truly seen?
