There are many misconceptions around attending therapy or Counselling sessions. I have below 8 reasons we may all need Counselling Therapy at some time in our life.

It is not about simply sitting on a couch speaking to someone, or at least it shouldn’t be. Our need to talk and discuss our feelings and emotions often has a stigma of the person being mental or weak. The truth is, those recognising they may require some support at specific times in their life means the person is intelligent, insightful and aware of their personal requirements. It is regrettable not everyone was that informed and smart.

Some require a Psychologist who are trained to diagnose and treat mental health issues. I am speaking about Counselling Therapy that discusses the client’s emotional issues and works with them to design the best outcome they want, not what they think you need.

The reality is that people do need Counselling Therapy or support session now and then, particularly since life becomes faster with more pressure being placed upon us. Our world is changing at a faster rate now than ever experiencing in the entire human kind, and yes, we may sometimes need some support to manage these continued changes and pressures emotionally. Research tells us it is incredibly useful to have a session or two to discuss any feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious or lost. This is very different from a mental health issue, and confusion on this remains high. A mental health issue is something physiological affecting the mind while an Emotional issue affects the emotions. It is not a medical problem.

Good Counselling needs to contain some challenging questions, digging deeper into our definition of words like anxious, sad, overwhelmed, hate, love as all these words needs clarification of what they mean to each of us individually. They mean different things to different people. Just speaking without good questioning is not a good counselling or therapy session, it is simply a chat.

Sometimes when life becomes hectic, or we have lost our way, we may simply need to check in with someone to talk to. A therapist listens, hears what you are saying and can reframe some of your issues enabling them to feel less of a burden. When we get support to understand the reason we may feel as we do, this can considerably lighten that heavy feeling we carry.

With Counselling, you have the opportunity to open up about your thoughts, feelings and circumstances in a confidential, non-judgemental setting. What is the reason some people may find having a Counselling session valuable?

If you are feeling overwhelmed in any area of your life, if you feel you have lost your way, things are over becoming insurmountable to manage. Often at times, we are overwhelmed in this fast pace life, taking the time to stop, reassess, probe as to what and discover how to make things slightly different can alleviate many of these emotions quickly.

If you are becoming moody and agitated. This is often connected to feeling lost or overwhelmed. We must learn to slow our thoughts and our mind. When slowed down we can improve our processing and compartmentalise issues much better and process correctly to alleviate them.

When you experience large changes in your life. We often find that change can overwhelm or challenge us. Changes such as a new job, moving home, moving in with someone, getting married, having a child, getting that promotion or new job or even losing our job. Counselling therapy assists us to develop strategies to manage these changes and challenges and to develop better coping skills.

A feeling of having lost your control. Often people will develop a diversion to alcohol, drugs or gambling. This diversion helps us temporarily escape from our reality, only to discover things worse the following day. Counselling assists us to stop this harmful repetitive behaviour and focus on the reason why we feel this way; then finding a solution to resolve these unwanted behaviours.

Your relationship is strained. Often through times in our life, we can struggle with strained relationships. While it can be our partner relationship, it may also be those relationships with family, work colleagues or friends. Any relationship strain places us under considerable stress. Working through and discussing these issues with a Counsellor can help alleviate the pressure you feel and provide solutions on ways to communicate more effectively to dissolve the conflict.

When sleep is difficult, it may be a warning sign. Human beings need to get their 7 – 8 hours of deep sleep each night to function the following day. When sleep is interrupted, many areas of our life can feel like a struggle. Investigating any underlying issue is essential to remedy this sleeping issue. The sooner you can resolve this the better before we develop a new insomnia habit that can take time to resolve. Good sleep session can be found from Virtual Hypnotherapy

Self Harm thoughts. These feelings and behaviours can be prevented with professional Counselling therapy. These emotions can present due to feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, sad or alone. Connecting with the Counselling Therapist can aid you to resolve these feeling, feel heard and supported and allow you to discover different ways to process those life events you are stuck in or struggling with.

When feeling lost, alone or isolated. This is when speaking with a therapist can allow you to feel connected, understood and heard. When we share our thoughts and problems, we are supported and lightened. Many of us need to discuss our emotions with someone that will understand and not judge us. Therapy can enable us to gain a new perspective and take proactive steps to reconnect with others.

So many reasons why having a session or two with a Professional Counsellor can help your thoughts improve, benefit you in your daily life and support you in any transition or problem. Contact a Counsellor today and alleviate the burden and weight you continue to carry around. There is a better way, time to lighten your load, resolve issues and more on more prepared, stronger and with a clearer mind. Putting off attending a session often leads to the issue becoming more intense for the person, then sometimes longer to resolve. Early intervention is the key.

Lifeline and Beyond Blue can provide some phone assistance in time of distress. Jump onto the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) in your state to connect with a local Counsellor who can start supporting you today.

Enquiries and appointments are available with Karen at her Therapy Practice or via Skype