I settled in to listen to how it all worked, taking notes as Esther explained that most employers and clients look for practitioners with professional qualifications and membership of professional bodies. When I’d googled counselling, the thing I hadn’t been able to figure out is what exactly the base qualification was, and she explained that that’s because there isn’t one – her association, which is one of many, set their own standards, so it turned out there was no compulsory training courses or qualifications as such. She did explain, though, that if we wanted to be registered with BACP, it would take about three or four years.

‘It’s a combination of independent study, placements, supervisions and often your own personal therapy, too. As a first port of call we recommend taking an introductory course to make sure counselling is the right career for you. At a further education college or adult education centre, you can get an overview of what training involves within eight to twelve weeks.’

I picked up some leaflets about that afterwards, when there was tea and coffee on offer with some biscuits, and we were encouraged to hang about and chat.

‘You look like you’ve got quite the collection of reading material there,’ Esther said behind me as I tried to juggle my handbag, the plethora of research I’d collected, and a paper cup of tea with two shortbread fingers. She’d given me a shock and I almost spilled my tea, but she saved me by taking it out of my hand at the last minute.

‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I think I was a bit ambitious with my balancing skills.’

‘We don’t knock ambition here,’ she said, compassionately. ‘Has tonight been helpful for you …’ she looked pointedly at my name tag ‘… Annie?’

‘It has,’ I replied. ‘I think I got about ten pages of notes,’ I joked, and she laughed.

‘I saw you scribbling away. There’s definitely an inner student trying to wrangle her way out, isn’t there?’

‘I’ve always been that way,’ I said. ‘I used to love learning at school.’

‘And since then?’

‘I went to university and now I work. But I’ve got to say, it’s been a long time since I picked up a new skill or tried something just to see what it was like. I don’t think I’ve done that since I was at junior school, actually.’

Esther considered this. ‘My husband and I have just taken up swing dancing,’ she said.

‘Oh, lovely!’ A tiny pit of envy swelled in my stomach at the mention of a happy relationship.

‘Not really,’ she said. ‘The only thing I enjoy about it is being able to say “we take swing dancing lessons”. The execution of it is quite painful.’