Yurandalli, Wollongong Counselling.

- A Cost Benefit Analysis

A Return on Investment

You may already be paying through:

Lost time: hours spent overthinking, avoiding, recovering, or feeling numb
Lost energy: exhaustion from anxiety, hypervigilance, poor sleep, or emotional labour
Relationship strain: conflict, distance, miscommunication, loneliness, walking on eggshells
Work impact: reduced concentration, burnout cycles, confidence dips, calling in sick, underperforming
Health impact: stress symptoms, tension, headaches, gut issues, shutdown, lowered immunity
Reduced life: not doing the things you want to do because it feels too hard or unsafe

What You Invest.
What You Can Gain.

Counselling is not a quick fix, and it is not magic. It is a structured process that helps you build insight, skills, and new patterns over time. Some changes feel noticeable early, for example, feeling more understood, less alone, or having a clearer plan. Other changes, especially behaviour change, usually take longer because your nervous system and habits have been practising the old way for years.

Results vary because people vary: your history, current stressors, supports, and capacity all matter. My commitment is to offer a trauma-informed, practical space and evidence-informed tools. Your part is showing up, engaging honestly, and practising the work between sessions.

Counselling aims to reduce those hidden costs by building repeatable skills and internal steadiness. The “return” shows up when you:

recover faster after stress,
stop repeating the same relationship patterns,
sleep more consistently,
feel safer in your body,
make decisions you can stand behind,
and experience more of your life rather than just getting through it.

Even small shifts compound. For example, if counselling helps you reduce one weekly spiral, prevent one major argument, or improve sleep enough to function better, that benefit repeats across weeks and months. This is why many clients experience therapy as one of the highest-value investments they make, because the gains affect everything else.

Session frequency matters

Change happens faster with consistency, especially early on.

Weekly: when things feel acute, distress is high, or you want momentum.
Fortnightly: when you have some stability and can practise between sessions.
Monthly: typically maintenance after progress is established.

More frequent sessions early can help stabilise what you are experiencing, especially if you are unlikely to complete any work in-between sessions.

Your responsibilities

Counselling works best when it is collaborative.

Before sessions: arrive with 1–2 key issues; notice patterns, triggers, and what you need most.
During sessions: be honest; stay curious; practise skills in-session; name what feels hard.
Between sessions: practise one small agreed step; track what helped; bring setbacks back to the room so we can adjust the approach.

If your capacity is limited (because life is heavy), we work with that, progress may be slower, but still possible and still meaningful.

Example Outcomes

Example 1 - Relief from constant anxiety and overthinking

What clients might want to change: “I want my mind to stop racing.” “I want to feel safe again.”

What change looks like: fewer spirals, less dread, fewer panic surges, more steady breathing and focus.

Why it matters: anxiety is exhausting, reducing it frees up energy for relationships, parenting, work, and rest.

Example 3 - Better relationships through clearer communication and boundaries

What clients might want to change: “I want to stop the same fight.” “I want to be heard.” “I want to stop people-pleasing.”

What change looks like: fewer circular arguments, more respectful conversations, clearer “yes/no,” less guilt, more self-respect.

Why it matters: relationship stress is one of the biggest drivers of anxiety, burnout, and low mood, repair creates real relief.

Example 5 - Increased confidence, self-worth, and internal steadiness

What clients might want to change: “I want to stop hating myself.” “I want to trust my decisions.”

What change looks like: less shame, softer self-talk, more self-advocacy, clearer identity, stronger follow-through.

Why it matters: self-worth changes what you tolerate, what you choose, and how you recover after setbacks.

Example 2 - Feeling more in control of emotions

What clients might want to change: “I’m sick of snapping, crying, or going numb.”

What change looks like: more emotional range, fewer blow-ups, fewer shutdown days, and better repair after hard moments.

Why it matters: emotional regulation reduces conflict, improves confidence, and makes day-to-day life feel manageable again.

Example 4 - Trauma recovery: fewer triggers, less hypervigilance, more safety in your body

What clients might want to change: “I don’t want the past controlling the present.”

What change looks like: fewer flashbacks/intrusive memories, reduced hyper-alertness, improved sleep, less startle/irritability, more groundedness.

Why it matters: trauma responses are not weaknesses, they are protective patterns. Therapy helps your system learn that “now” is different.

Example 6 - Getting your life back, more presence, motivation, and meaning

What clients might want to change: “I feel stuck.” “I’m just surviving.”

What change looks like: more engagement with life, renewed motivation, healthier routines, enjoyment returning, less avoidance.

Why it matters: the “cost” of staying stuck is often years of half-living. Counselling supports a return to agency.

How long does change take?

There is no single timeline, but here is a realistic guide:

1–3 sessions: clarifying what’s happening, what you want, and building a plan. Some people feel relief from being understood; others feel stirred up.

4–8 sessions: learning and practising skills, noticing patterns, beginning behaviour change in small ways.

8–20+ sessions: deeper work, stronger nervous system regulation, more consistent change, and improved relationships and self-trust.

What can slow progress: ongoing crisis, unsafe environments, high workload/caring responsibilities, lack of support, active trauma triggers, sleep deprivation, substance use, or being stretched too thin to practise in-between sessions.

What can speed progress: consistent sessions, willingness to practise, supportive relationships, stable routines, and discussing setbacks openly rather than disappearing when it gets hard.