How do I know if I need counselling?

How do I know if I need counselling?

It may be that you have sought the advice and guidance of family relatives and friends and found, that although well-intentioned, other people don’t seem to get from where you’re coming.  Also, you may find it hard to talk to friends or family because they are directly involved in the issues that are making you unhappy.  I remember a close friend, who was challenged by extreme feelings of anxiety from time to time, explaining that other people didn’t know how to help because they didn’t know what it felt like to have feelings of dread and panic for much of the day.  Other people may not be able to understand another person’s reality.  Each of us views ‘reality’ from our own individual perspective, our own personal lens upon the wider world.   

When you are feeling ‘stuck’ in a problem situation and cannot think your way through it, or when you are feeling in the grip of anxiety or depression, leaving you incapable of focusing on anything than your immediate emotional circumstances or you have been feeling low for weeks, months even and can feel that something has to change finally or you may feel haunted by a past traumatic event… then this may be the time when you know that you may need counselling. 

 How may counselling help you?  

A counsellor or psychotherapist will have the skills to help you put things into perspective, opening you up to the possibility of seeing your circumstances in a different way.   A counsellor may help you think about your problems in a new and more empowering way, drawing upon a wide range of techniques and strategies to help you to manage your emotions and participate more fully again in your life, and also help you to draw upon your own resources which may be greater than you realise.  The therapist’s responsibility is to work to help you, understanding your view and experience of the world.  Sharing your worries can help you feel less alone with the problem.  You can gain a better understanding of yourself and a clearer sense of what you want and need…identifying the first achievable actions, no matter how small, to help you make the first steps towards positive change.