Just having someone to talk to can be a great relief, but finding people with the time and inclination to listen can be hard and friends often find it hard to cope with our problems. They can get bored and tell us to 'get over it'. Counsellors are trained listeners who will not feel overwhelmed by your problems or want you to listen to theirs in return.
Counsellors do more than just listen. A good counsellor can help you to look at and understand the process by which some people get caught up in their issues and can't find a way to sort things out. This can help us to feel more powerful and able to make choices.