Life in modern society can be stressful. Whether you are young or old, black or white, male or female, rich or poor, there seems to always be things to worry about or challenges to face.

Bereavement, relationship issues, money worries, family problems, the demands of looking after children, work pressures, anxiety over appearance, lack of self-confidence, illness, pain, depression ...the list is endless. Little wonder then that many people seek help and support from a counsellor.

A counsellor is trained to listen with empathy - by putting themselves in your shoes.

They can help you deal with any negative thoughts and feelings you have, help you get in touch with what you are feeling, or help guide and move you on from situations that seem hopeless or frightening.

Old attitudes – expressed in sayings like 'keep a stiff upper lip', 'sweep it under the carpet', 'just toughen up and get on with it' – are now, thankfully, a thing of the past.

However, counselling is still under-used by ethnic minority groups. Research suggests there may be several reasons for this.

Within Asian cultures emotional problems may be seen as shameful or stigmatizing. Physical symptoms are much more readily accepted.

Even recognising one has an emotional problem may be an alien concept.

Even if someone feels they need to talk to someone outside their family or community, they may not know where to go; or may think that counselling isn't 'right' for them – or they won't be understood - because counsellors are mainly from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

As a British Muslim, I am aware that ethnic minority groups may feel ashamed to admit psychological or emotional issues, or may see problems as being an expression of Divine Will (that nothing can or should be done about them, and one should just accept one's fate).

Rather than 'accepting' my fate my own life story reflects the power of being proactive and positive.

I recognise that people often become helpless victims or try to mask their issues with drugs and alcohol.

My previous research into patients experiencing chronic pain revealed that people who practise 'active' (rather than passive or negative) coping strategies have a much higher quality of life.

Motivated by my own experiences and my belief in the positive benefits of talking to – and being listened to – by a skilled, non-judgemental empathic listener, I have set up her own counselling service (Think Positive Counselling) in Blackburn for Asian and minority ethnic clients.

I strongly believes counselling is not just for middle-class white people. It is for everyone.

Neil Armstrong famously said when landing on the Moon nearly 50 years ago, “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.

In counselling, the journey to a better life starts with taking that first brave step... and reaching out.