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One method that may help you to give up smoking is counselling. Counselling is not a specific technique of quitting smoking as such, but rather a method that can help you overcome a number of problems, and simply clarify your own ideas about how to deal with them. When you seek counselling, what happens is that you arrange to meet with your counsellor on a regular basis, usually once a week. At these sessions you talk through with your counsellor some of the methods that you might use to give up smoking. Also discussed will be things such as what led you to smoking in the first place, why you continued to smoke after that, what situations seem to lead you to smoking, as so on. There will be a significant amount of discussion about strategies and tactics for giving up smoking, and how you are managing as time goes on.

Your counsellor may ask you to do certain exercises such as keep a simple journal, or log the times when you feel like you need a cigarette. The counsellor will be able to advise you on different methods for giving up smoking, and which would work the best for you, as well as offering advice about group therapy, and group support.

Many people find that counselling can help them to give up smoking because it helps to be able to discuss the problem and their progress with a professional on a regular basis. The client does not feel like they are just struggling on their own.

If you decide to seek counselling make sure that you see a professionally qualified counsellor. You could try asking your doctor for recommendations, or try Quit for advice.

Here are some useful links:

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

American Counseling Association

Australian Counselling Association

Filed under: Ways to Quit