Me? See a Therapist?
Many of the folks who call or go to see a counselor or therapist begin the conversation with an admission--"I never thought I'd need help". It is with a look of chagrin and confusion that people often first enter the counseling room. On the other hand, most of us plan our visits to the chiropractor without the "shame" of an admission we can't do it all alone. Counseling is often misunderstood and thought to be for someone with "real" problems, someone who isn't able to "function", someone with a terrible past. And with this misunderstanding many miss an opportunity to gain insight, ease pain in times of stress, suffer with health problems throughout life, or sink into a mire of depression that eventually earns them the right to get help. It doesn't need to be so.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word counsel means: "consultation, guidance solicited from a knowledgeable person, deliberate resolution or plan of action" and therapy means action or power to heal. Looking at both ideas it would seem asking for a consultation to bring healing, or seeking guidance toward a plan of action, might be appropriate and helpful to all of us from time to time.
Think for a second. When did you last pop some Tylenol or Advil? Do your shoulders hurt or are they hunched over? Are you exhausted by Thursday morning and barely make it through the next two days at the office? Or, are you pushing away an awareness that life is getting shorter and you still don't know how to play, haven't ever really felt happy, or missed your children growing up? Possibly the career ladder isn't so stable and you're wondering--"is this all there is?" Maybe your significant other doesn't seem so "significant" anymore. Stress, unsettledness, discouragement, come in many forms. Counseling is about helping a client find some healing and make a plan for the future.
Time is often an issue. Too busy to even relax with your partner, how can you possibly find time for counseling! Most people, when a good friend calls, will drop things to spend time chatting with them or find a spare hour during which to meet for coffee or lunch. And yet, an hour a week is impossible to find? If we are to love our brother as oneself, then it seems we need to also consider healing and caring for ourselves as well as our partners, friends, co-workers and family.
Much as we choose a family doctor, a chiropractor, we would be wise to also choose a therapist. Someone with whom we can bare our soul, develop a plan of attack, consider life situations so we make the most of life, and gain insights rather than continuing to suffer the same pains. A counselor can be one you return to at different points to check in, evaluate, and consider future plans much as one does on a regular basis with the family "doc". There's a saying, "don't be so busy living that you forget to make a life". Counseling helps you make a life.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word counsel means: "consultation, guidance solicited from a knowledgeable person, deliberate resolution or plan of action" and therapy means action or power to heal. Looking at both ideas it would seem asking for a consultation to bring healing, or seeking guidance toward a plan of action, might be appropriate and helpful to all of us from time to time.
Think for a second. When did you last pop some Tylenol or Advil? Do your shoulders hurt or are they hunched over? Are you exhausted by Thursday morning and barely make it through the next two days at the office? Or, are you pushing away an awareness that life is getting shorter and you still don't know how to play, haven't ever really felt happy, or missed your children growing up? Possibly the career ladder isn't so stable and you're wondering--"is this all there is?" Maybe your significant other doesn't seem so "significant" anymore. Stress, unsettledness, discouragement, come in many forms. Counseling is about helping a client find some healing and make a plan for the future.
Time is often an issue. Too busy to even relax with your partner, how can you possibly find time for counseling! Most people, when a good friend calls, will drop things to spend time chatting with them or find a spare hour during which to meet for coffee or lunch. And yet, an hour a week is impossible to find? If we are to love our brother as oneself, then it seems we need to also consider healing and caring for ourselves as well as our partners, friends, co-workers and family.
Much as we choose a family doctor, a chiropractor, we would be wise to also choose a therapist. Someone with whom we can bare our soul, develop a plan of attack, consider life situations so we make the most of life, and gain insights rather than continuing to suffer the same pains. A counselor can be one you return to at different points to check in, evaluate, and consider future plans much as one does on a regular basis with the family "doc". There's a saying, "don't be so busy living that you forget to make a life". Counseling helps you make a life.