Making the Decision to Begin Counseling
Deciding to begin counseling can be difficult. Most people put off seeing a counselor because they believe it’s a sign of weakness, or that they can manage their problems without help, or because their fear of what others will think. The best time to seek counseling varies for each person. A few of the times to seek help are when you feel overwhelmed by events in your life, when depression or anxiety interfere with your social relationships, work, or studies, when you’re unable to change behaviors you know are self-destructive, or when you have experienced a traumatic event in your life. There is no one assessment tool to help you decide whether you need to see a counselor. Some can be accessed online. We have provided a general set of warning signs and symptoms, which can be found by
What Can I Expect From Counseling
The course of counseling varies for each person. It depends on the type, severity, and length of time the problem has existed that each person brings to counseling. In general what you can expect is that counseling will reveal aspects of yourself, your feelings, and behaviors, which are contributing to your reason for seeking professional help; and guidance and support for making changes that may lead to improved emotional, social, and physical well-being.
For some, counseling may take only a few sessions; for others, several months. Some people find it best to begin counseling, work on short-term goals, then terminate counseling, but return later to begin work again. We consider counseling successful, when a client can use new insight to make changes that re-balance her life. We are aware the changes a client makes are not always permanent; that clients can slip back into old behaviors or ways of thinking. For that reason, we encourage people to return to counseling when they recognize they have more work to do to improve their well-being.
