Counselling is a professional form of support in which a qualified counsellor helps you understand difficult experiences and find practical ways of coping with everyday challenges.
Counselling is a supportive process in which a counsellor walks alongside you in conversation about your thoughts, emotions and life situation. It is not formal therapy — it is a space for reflection, self-understanding and developing concrete steps that help you cope better with everyday life.
Stress, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed
Loneliness and relationship difficulties
Important life and career decisions
Crises and moments of change
Building self-confidence and personal growth
Therapy typically works with deeper, deeper difficulties and mental health concerns. Counselling focuses on current problems and practical solutions — often it is the first, less formal step towards taking care of yourself.
Counselling does not replace support from an appropriate mental health professional or crisis services. If in crisis, please contact an appropriate mental health professional or crisis services.
Use the public registry of certified ICI specialists.
Find a specialistWant to become a specialist? See the certification pathMost training institutions teach theory and rigid frameworks. At ICI, we teach relationships. Real change happens where 'role-playing' ends and authenticity begins.
Our specialists don't hide behind a wall of professional distance. We believe clients need another human being, not a perfect algorithm. We teach how to be natural, how to humbly admit mistakes, and how to build bridges instead of walls.
We don't believe in the 'one right approach'. Instead of forcing frameworks onto clients, we teach flexibility. An ICI specialist is a flashlight in the dark and a compass – adapting tools to the client's needs and giving them full responsibility for their own choices.
We share knowledge. We explain behavioural and emotional mechanisms, share observations, and provide tools for self-understanding. An aware client is an independent client.
We don't impose rigid labels – we protect the relationship and refer to appropriate specialists when necessary. We take care of ourselves so as not to burden the client with our own issues. We remember that we are a support system, but the client is the author of their own life.
Breakups, loss of a loved one, sudden life changes — moments when it is hard to find direction on your own.
Conflicts with a partner, family, colleagues. Feeling unheard or unable to understand the other person.
Work has become a burden, you have lost motivation, you feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and pressure.
You face a choice: changing jobs, moving, ending a relationship. You need space to think through your options.
You do not know what you want, where you are heading, who you are beyond the roles you play. You need reflection on yourself.
You are not in crisis, but you want to understand yourself better, improve your relationships, live more consciously.
Most people have never seen a specialist. Here is what you can expect.
The first session is about getting to know each other. You talk about your situation, goals, expectations. The specialist asks questions to understand how they can help.
Together you define what you are working on and how many sessions will be needed (usually 6–12). You have clarity: where you are heading.
You meet weekly or biweekly (online or in person). Each session lasts 50–60 minutes. You discuss progress, difficulties, new insights.
After the agreed number of sessions, you check your progress. If the goal is achieved — you finish. If more is needed — you plan the next stage.
At ICI, we believe good help has a beginning and an end. We do not create dependency — we help you regain agency.
Not everyone who calls themselves a counsellor meets the same standards. ICI specialists have undergone rigorous verification.
Every ICI specialist has passed identity verification via Stripe Identity. You know you are talking to a real person, not an anonymous account.
ICI specialists have committed to a code of ethics: confidentiality, competence boundaries, client wellbeing as priority. Violation = loss of certification.
An active ICI specialist earns professional development points every year. This guarantees their knowledge is current, not from 10 years ago.
You can check every specialist's status in real time. You see: whether they are active, since when, what ICI Professional Sections they belong to. Full transparency.
