If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, you are not alone. Everyone faces obstacles in life. Our fast-paced, busy lifestyles make many of us feel like we’ve lost control of emotions, thoughts and behaviours. As you juggle your career, relationship and family responsibilities, you may have stopped taking proper care of yourself. Instead, your time may be spent worrying about the vitality of your romantic relationship, the duties of becoming a parent or your teenager’s behavior.
If you have experienced a devastating loss, you may be especially vulnerable to emotional pain. When we deal with stress, it’s not uncommon to cope by turning to unhealthy patterns of eating or abusing drugs and alcohol.
Even though life issues are quite common, it is often difficult to effectively treat yourself, your relationship or your child’s behavior on your own. The good news is that with the expert help of counselling you can find the support you, your relationship or your family needs in order to feel happy, peaceful and resilient.
Questions to ask yourself
· Are you struggling to find balance and peace in your life?
· Are you overwhelmed with worrisome thoughts? Do you feel sad, empty or isolated? Do activities that once brought you joy now feel mundane or meaningless?
· Does your preteen or teen struggle with emotional or behavioral issues?
· Have you suffered a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one or the loss of your job and now feel overwhelmed with grief?
· Do you and your partner have trouble communicating, causing the two of you to drift apart?
· Are you new to parenthood and struggling with overwhelming stress or sadness?
· Have you gained weight due to emotional eating or other unhealthy eating patterns?
· Do you wish you could create balance and meaning in your life?
Counseling Psychology
Counseling is a general practice and health service provider specialty in professional psychology. It focuses on how people function both personally and in their relationships at all ages. Counseling psychology addresses the emotional, social, work, school and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives, focusing on typical life stresses and more severe issues with which people may struggle as individuals and as a part of families, groups and organizations. Counseling psychologists help people with physical, emotional and mental health issues improve their sense of well‐being, alleviate feelings of distress and resolve crises. They also provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe psychological symptoms.
The Process of Counseling
The traditional counseling process includes the following components.
· Opening: The opening process is perhaps one of the most important parts of the interaction with your client. It is your chance to get to know your client and for them to get to know you. It is also where you will set the tone for the rest of the therapeutic relationship.
· Exploring Client Understanding: The exploration process is where you will begin to understand your client. You will explore their past and evaluate their current concerns. Here, you will together establish goals and set expectations.
· Understanding: Important in developing a strong relationship with your client, you can demonstrate understanding by using verbal and nonverbal cues, as well as reflections and paraphrases.
· Intervention: The intervention process is about choosing the appropriate counseling techniques that will encourage growth within your client.
· Exploring Problems: Exploration is the process of learning more about your client and why they have come to counseling. Exploration is necessary in truly understanding a client’s thoughts and feelings in relation to their pressing problem.
· Empower to Create Own Solutions: Empowering your client is not about providing them with all the answers. It is about empowering them, with your counseling skills, to find their own solutions.
Counselling Can Help You Reach Optimal Mental Health
Counseling is about creating strong relationships with your clients that will empower them to obtain mental health and to fulfil their goals. Through the use of intentional counseling techniques and an understanding of human nature developed through counseling theories, an experienced counsellor from a reputable company like Lotus Wellness Center can guide you in reaching optimal mental health.