Counseling is the act of giving advice and direction in life done by a professional.
The counselor works with a client that has some issues, is confused, has a certain condition, or simply needs guidance. It is a collaborative process that involves both sides and the end result is improvement in the area of life the client struggled with.
Here are some more things about counseling that you might not know about:
Counseling addresses more than most people assume.
Counseling isn’t always about fixing problems. It’s mostly about life transitions, the things we all go through but which we often refuse to deal with.
From the small issues that arise in daily life or the negative thoughts we’ve been having for some time, to dealing with anger, relationships, career change, moving to a new place, or else.
All these are things that can be discussed and improved through counseling.
You don’t see a counselor only when something is wrong with you.
Contrary to the popular belief, you don’t actually need to have a mental health problem or any other condition to seek professional counseling.
Seeing a specialist might just be what you needed in order to define what you want in life, set more specific goals or take important decisions about your future.
Counseling is about change. And sometimes people simply need a person outside their social circle and who’s got experience with that in order to open up and take the advice.
Empathy is an important part of the client-counselor relationship.
Seeing a counselor is different than seeing other specialists in many ways, one of which includes the connection that is formed between the 2 sides and the trust that can be built after a certain number of sessions.
Aside from that, a counselor has learned how to practice empathy, how not to judge or blame, but to listen, understand, and help the patient find the best way to solve the issue.
It’s not unusual for patients to feel like they’ve been understood for the very first time.
That’s because in daily life, we often forget to slow down and listen, to stop expecting and start accepting those around us.
A counselor won’t push you.
One of the beautiful things about counseling as compared to other forms of therapy or guidance is that the counselor knows when to stop.
That’s usually when a client simply doesn’t want to dig any deeper and isn’t actually looking to resolve a certain issue that’s been there for a while.
There are ways to improve the counseling experience.
In the role of the counselor, you can show that you too are vulnerable. That it’s okay to be silent for a long time and not feel the pressure to fill it in. That you can accept the limits the client has.
It could be that he or she isn’t ready to build trust, to find the underlying cause of an issue because it might be too painful, or just doesn’t feel comfortable around you.
In the role of the client, you can calm down and open up. Cry if you feel like, that just means you found a good counselor.
Don’t feel like you need to make them like you or like they expect something from you. Just be yourself and be vulnerable, right there.
Have you ever seen a counselor, or are you thinking about a career in counseling?