My stories have left therapists happy, sad and bored. But did I ever tell the whole truth? | Adrian Chiles

I've banged on about everything and everyone as part of my talking cure. My loved ones might remember events very differently

I'm all in favour of talking therapy. It's a crying shame it's so hard to access if you can't afford to pay for it. A skilled and compassionate listener can help you reframe your world and equip you to deal better with your life. However, something is bothering me about the whole business.

From my experience, whatever strain of therapy you're doing, it works as follows. You're encouraged to talk about your life, about all the people who are and have been in it. And about all the things, good and bad, that have happened to you and how you feel about them. There's an awful lot of material to get through. My, how you can talk once you get going. If your favourite topic of conversation is yourself, you will love every minute of it straight away. If you're not like that, a good therapist will soon get you started.

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist