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How the Wheel of Life Can Transform Self-Awareness in Counselling

In the world of counselling and coaching, few tools are as simple yet powerful as the Wheel of Life. This visual and reflective exercise helps clients take a step back and assess how balanced and fulfilled they feel across different areas of their life. It’s a popular tool for goal setting, lifestyle review, and personal growth—and in a counselling context, it can be a valuable psychoeducational resource.

Whether you’re working with individuals who feel “stuck,” overwhelmed, or unclear about their direction, the Wheel of Life can open the door to meaningful insights and conversations.

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What is the Wheel of Life?

The Wheel of Life is a circular diagram divided into segments, each representing a different aspect of life—commonly including areas such as:

  • Health and Wellbeing

  • Relationships

  • Work or Career

  • Finances

  • Personal Growth

  • Fun and Leisure

  • Physical Environment

  • Emotional Wellbeing or Spirituality

Clients rate their satisfaction in each area by using the slider in that segment. The app will automatically colour the segment resulting in a visual snapshot of their current life balance. We can ask ourselves, and our clients, do our wheels roll!

Why It Works in Counselling

1. Creates a Clear Visual Overview

Many clients benefit from seeing their life laid out in a simple, visual format. The Wheel of Life offers a holistic overview of what’s working—and what’s not. It’s often the first time clients have reflected on all areas of their life at once, which can lead to powerful “aha” moments.

2. Encourages Reflection and Self-Awareness

The exercise naturally invites curiosity. Why is one area so low? Why is another thriving? This leads to deeper discussions around unmet needs, emotional health, lifestyle habits, and personal values.

3. Helps Identify Priorities and Goals

Once clients see where they feel most dissatisfied, it becomes easier to identify focus areas for change. Whether the goal is to improve relationships, reduce stress, or prioritise self-care, the wheel helps translate insight into action.

4. Supports Ongoing Progress Tracking

The Wheel of Life isn’t just a one-time exercise. It can be revisited periodically throughout the counselling process to help clients track progress, re-evaluate priorities, or reflect on shifts in perspective.

5. Promotes Balanced Living

Clients often realise they’ve been focusing too much energy in one area—like work or caregiving—while neglecting others, such as health or personal enjoyment. The Wheel helps start conversations around creating more balance, setting boundaries, and honouring all parts of life.

See The Wheel of Life in action! Watch the Demo above.

How to Use the Wheel in Sessions

You can introduce the Wheel of Life early in the therapeutic relationship as a way to explore the client’s life context. It’s also useful at transition points (e.g. career changes, after a breakup, or during periods of burnout).

Here are a few ways to use it:

  • As a reflective exercise: Ask clients to complete it before or during a session, then explore what stood out for them.

  • As a goal-setting tool: Help clients choose one or two areas to focus on and brainstorm small, realistic changes.

  • As a visual check-in: Revisit the wheel monthly or quarterly to assess growth and new areas of focus.

Not Just for Online?

Although we designed The Wheel of Life app for counsellors and therapists who work online, typically using video call systems like Zoom, MS Teams and Google Meet, it is also possible to use The Wheel of Life app in person. An unexpected side effect is that many counsellors find using the app in face to face sessions is easier and more connecting than using the tradition paper and pen version. We know it’s not for everyone but it could be a good fit for many of your clients.

Final Thoughts

The Wheel of Life is a very simple and easy to use Web App, however it is also a very powerful resource. It’s a dynamic conversation starter, a mirror for self-reflection, and a bridge between awareness and action. It empowers clients to look at their lives through a broader lens and take meaningful steps toward greater balance, fulfillment, and wellbeing.

For counsellors looking to integrate more psychoeducational tools into their practice, the Wheel of Life is a great place to start.

We have made this online resource completely FREE! We hope you and your clients will benefit from it.

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