Who even goes to counseling, anyway?

Working in the mental health field for several years now, I recognize the lack of information that people have when it comes to counseling. I’ve heard things like, “I don’t need to go to counseling, I’m not crazy!” more times than I can count. What this says to me is that most of society sees the population that seeks help as severely mentally ill, which is completely false. As someone who has worked in a setting with a population requiring a high level of care, I can definitely say that more people ARE struggling than we think or care to admit as a culture. Furthermore, I think it’s important to know that not every person struggling is severely mentally ill. People seek help for a variety of reasons, all of which are valid and worth talking about. So what are the reasons? Stress, whether it’s work related, relationship related, mom related, dad related, difficult family related, financial issues, YOU NAME IT. Some people seek help when they’re struggling with depression symptoms (crying spells, isolation, not wanting to do the things they love anymore, etc). Others find counseling helpful to deal with anxiety, worry, fears, racing thoughts, obsessive thoughts, impulsive behaviors, addictions, and maladaptive coping (drinking, drugs, avoidance, etc). At certain times in our lives we may struggle more than others, so some people seek help during times of grief (loss of a person, loss of a version of yourself, los of possessions /career/ able body). Individual counseling is helpful for those in difficult relationship patterns or domestic violence. As weird as you may think, some people seek counseling when there’s not a specfic struggle but to help find career paths, learn better coping skills, help manage their lives in a healthier way, and for guidance with something specific. These are just SOME of the topics that may come up in counseling. Basically, we ALL have experienced things in our lives that were difficult, traumatic, or leave us feeling stuck and confused which brings us to a couch some place working through things with a stranger. As strange as that may sound, why is that so helpful to talk to a stranger?….. well, a stranger is a non biased person who sees and hears you as you see the world, which allows healing to happen slowly if you give it a chance. You develop trust and can change brain patterns, thought responses, perspective shifts, and in time this can have a major impact on your life. You’re allowed the space and safety to explore yourself and make small shifts and changes to be a more authentic version of yourself without bias opinion and agenda…. because the more you learn boundaries and explore who you are, you can become confident, fulfilled, and more aligned with who you are meant to be….holistically well and able to experience joy among life’s difficulties. So whatever you feel and struggle with, no matter how big or small, it’s valid and worth seeking help. :)