Counseling is also known as psychotherapy, therapy or talk therapy. While many people consider counseling necessary only for those suffering from mental illness, counseling can also help people get more satisfaction out of life, deal with major life changes, improve important relationships, deal with loss and achieve more at work and in life. Learn more about what kind of person benefits from counseling and the different types of professionals who provide these services. If you think counseling might be of benefit to you, find out more about selecting an effective therapist that’s well matched to your needs and learn more about the different types (philosophies) of therapy typically offered within a counseling relationship.
Counseling, or talk therapy, helps people achieve more well-being in life.
Some people come in to counseling knowing exactly what needs fixing. Others enter in not knowing what to do or change, but simply feeling ‘stuck’ and dissatisfied with life – and searching for answers to questions as yet unspoken. All people, however, get counseling when they are ready for change and personal growth, and when they know they could use some help to get where they need and want to be.
Through the counseling experience you gain a better understanding of yourself and why you feel and act as you do. You’ll get ideas for change and learn healthy coping skills and techniques that you’ll use to start pushing your life back in the direction you want it going.
People with mental illness often require and/or benefit greatly from counseling, but you do not need to have a mental illness to benefit from a therapy experience. Counseling is useful for any person that desires positive change in life. For example, therapy can help to:
- Reduce feelings of depression or anxiety
- Help you deal with the loss of a loved one
- Help you get over a traumatic break-up or divorce
- Help you get in control of your drinking or drug using
- Help you get in control of impulse control problems
- Help to improve your relationship with a spouse, family member or friend
- Help you to deal with and move past a traumatic experience
- Help you with your self esteem, loneliness or people skills
- Help you to avoid making the same relationship mistakes, repeatedly
- Help you to get ‘unstuck’ in life and move forward towards the life you’d rather live!
If you long to improve your life in some way but aren’t sure how to accomplish your goals – then counseling may be for you.
Page last updated Mar 03, 2011
