Benefits of counselling include: increased happiness, improved relationships, less stress and anxiety, greater confidence and self-esteem, being the person you always wanted to be, refusing to be bullied or treated unfairly, overcoming self-defeating behaviours and negative patterns of thinking, being assertive, resilient and more able to cope, being a participant rather than an onlooker, understanding what motivates others, having an improved commitment to creativity and productivity and being able to make the right choices.