Can Counseling Really Help Me?

Perhaps almost everyone who has sought out a trained counselor has asked this question right before walking into a counseling session. You are certainly not alone if you have asked this, and here’s why.

The Assumptions Beneath the Resistance

We all tend to feel that our private problems are as unique as our thumbprint. We have no hesitation going to the clinic when we experience terrible chest pain. However, when it comes to matters close to the heart, sometimes we wonder, “Why me?” or “I’m sure nobody else will understand.” 

There is some truth to these statements, as each of us perceives the outer and inner world differently, shaped by our distinct personalities. We often question the usefulness of counseling because of our lack of understanding about this seemingly new field of psychological counseling, especially here in India.

What’s the Point?

Traditionally, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists focused primarily on hospitalized mentally ill patients, which contributed to the taboo surrounding seeking help from mental health professionals. However, over the past century, the need to apply psychological principles to improve the everyday lives of common people has increased substantially. Psychology is not only clinical in nature but also aims to help people manage daily stressors and cope with trauma.

If you feel unhappy with where you are in life, feel low, or have a negative mindset, seeing a counselor can help to a large extent. Counselors address marital discord, interpersonal tensions, stress, anger, depression, phobias, and even general loss of motivation or dissatisfaction with life. If any stress factor goes beyond your present control and prevents you from functioning smoothly during the day, it is advisable to seek help.

Decades of research repeatedly show that 75% of those who seek psychotherapy exhibit signs of recovery and improvement. Seeking help from a trained counselor is the opposite of pushing problems under the mind’s carpet.

Counseling and the Counselor

Counseling is often a problem-solving approach in which two or more people engage to work through personal problems in a safe and confidential environment based on a trust-based relationship. We have all counseled someone by providing suggestions or encouragement when a loved one faced an obstacle. However, professional counselors are trained to effectively employ a range of counseling approaches tailored to the individual’s concerns.

There is no one-size-fits-all counselor approach. Each counselor uses different techniques and theoretical frameworks in the counseling process to help you reach your goals.

The Ball Is in Your Court

It is important to remember that even in counseling, prevention is better than cure, so seeking help at the earliest signs is wise. Identify the cracks in your relationships or emotional health and seek out a trained counselor.

Counseling does not promise a quick fix or solve all your problems; however, it empowers you and gives you the opportunity to do so. Counseling exists and is sustained by the belief that problems can be overcome by anyone or at least endured courageously.

It is the aim of every counselor to transmit this genuine hope to every person seeking help, and the individual, in turn, translates this hope into action. So, will counseling work for you? Try it out — and instead of saying, “Let’s hope it works,” you may find yourself saying, “Hope! It works!”