What is Counselling?
There are times when we go through very difficult situations, which are too hard for us to sort out. What makes it even more difficult is when we cannot go to our normal sources of encouragement, such as family and friends, either because they are too intimate to us or are also part of the problem. This is when it would be helpful to seek the help of a trained counsellor in a confidential environment where we can talk more freely.
So what is counselling? It is a chance for you to explore your feelings, gain better self-awareness, understand what's happening, know your options, and decide which one will work best for you. Counselling aims to give you the confidence to find your own solutions and not to instruct or give you any advice.
Counselling is one great way for people to have a regular time and space where they can talk about the things that trouble them. This helps them open up concerning their incomprehensible feelings in a setting that is trustworthy, confidential, and free from interruption. A counsellor helps patients cope with crises, deal with their specific problems, improve their relationships, or establish healthier ways of living.
Counsellors don't just offer advice. They also help individuals understand their feelings and behavior and find meaningful ways of changing them, if needed. They are able to do this by listening carefully to their clients and giving comments from a professional's point of view.
The term counselling covers a wide range of field. It may refer to an individual who has been highly trained to someone who employs counselling skills such as listening or clarifying while performing another job, such as caregiving or nursing. Here we use this term specifically to refer to a therapy provided by a trained professional.
In general, counselling sessions are done once a week. When done regularly, it gives patient higher chances of determining his problems and finding ways on how to deal with them.
An individual may seek counselling when he's going through very had experiences such as bereavement, relationship breakdown or redundancy. Other reasons for seeking help include feelings of sadness, anxiety, depression, or low self-worth, which may not be related to any specific event. Some people may also find counselling beneficial in helping them overcome mental health issues such as binge disorder or depression. There are also those who need counselling to help them fully and objectively understand their physical problems or disability. Counselling can also be very effective in helping patients cope with physical complaints or symptoms which doctors cannot relieve. For this reason, physicians may refer patients to counsellors when they suspect a psychological aspect related to their symptoms.
With counselling you can be assured that there is someone willing to listen to you without judging you and whom you can trust to keep everything you say confidential.
While some think that only those who have gone nuts should seek counselling, this is not 100% true. Some people seek counselling to hear a different view on their problem or just to have a friendly ear. This only means that counselling can help you explore the various ways of dealing with life and provide you with a much needed support while you're going through very difficult times in your life.
There are times when you just can't put your thoughts and feelings into words so that even those close to you cannot understand the changes in your mood or behavior. Counselling can help you gain a better insight of what's going inside you and help you gain control over them.
Counselling sessions vary in length, but they normally last for an hour. There are times when one session would be all that a person needs, but sometimes several regular sessions may be needed for a person to completely heal. This is something settled between you and the therapist and depends on a lot of factors such as the issues being discussed and the reason for counselling.