Is Counseling Right For Me?

Choosing to see someone about your personal or professional life can be a difficult decision. There may be many factors holding you back but I aim to ease some of your concerns in regards to seeking assistance, starting with one of the primary values of working with a counselor; confidentiality.

A counselor should absolutely go through this with you in more detail on the first session. It explains that your privacy is of utmost importance and the information you share in session remains confidential, with few allowances regarding the immediate safety of persons and a legal bequest.

If you need clarifications on the confidentiality agreement, ask your mental health agent for more information.

Counseling is for anyone struggling with:

• Breaking habits

• Feeling aimless

• Relationships or friendships

• Communication difficulties

• Emotional irregularities

• Feeling overwhelmed.

Counseling can help:

• Define goals

• Set direction

• Find new interests

• Understand the self better than ever before.

One large social factor that may prevent you exploring counseling include the opinions of friends &/or family. It can be challenging to discuss the complexities of a situation to those close to you. Whether it's about work, study or financial matters, admitting to personally struggling can be daunting. You may fear how they'll react, or are concerned with overburdening someone.

A counselor can help ease the tension of keeping words and feelings on lock-down, assisting in bridging the gaps in relationships, or simply helping to strengthen your self-confidence. The distance of a third-party means your privacy is maintained so you may safely share your concerns and thoughts.

We understand that speaking the words that circle around your mind day-in & day-out can be challenging for many. Admitting to certain thoughts can feel like acknowledging false beliefs, or painful to shed light upon. It's often scary to begin a new relationship, repeat stories, explore boundaries and intentionally look upon one's own thoughts and beliefs.

A counselor should provide a comfortable and safe environment, be open to questions and support your process while encouraging new insights.

Oftentimes, we believe the situation isn't as difficult as we feel it is and thus continue to believe we can overcome it alone. This can increase feelings of social exclusion and self-doubt exacerbated by the challenging external circumstances. We believe in supporting a person to make the right choices for them, & that an outside ear can reveal answers in speech you otherwise may not recognize.

Another factor that can prevent one from choosing counseling is the price of sessions, which are often continued over a series of months. Look at multiple different counselors and therapists, call to check their hourly rates, if they offer bundles or any governmental subsidies. Many places may offer payment plans to suit your budget, we personally allow and support the payment plan options.

Overall, beginning the conversation with a new person about any or all areas of your life can feel scary. The fear that you'll be judged, it won't help, or even the fear of it actually helping can keep one from taking the step forward but in doing so, you open the door to new experiences and opportunities.

To seek counseling is a brave choice that we admire, support and are honored to conduct.