Getting counseling when you need someone to talk to about your problems can be one of the best things you can do for yourself and most people come to counselling too late. Though most people are reluctant about the idea of talking about their personal hardships with others, doing so can certainly improve the quality of your life. You could be living your life to its fullest, but by letting past problems, current issues, or emotional crises rule your relationships and decisions, you’re setting yourself up for failure and persistent difficulties.
The fact is that everyone can benefit from counselling– not just people we claim as “insane”. Most people that seek out additional help with their problems are taking a step forward to mental wellness. The way you live your life is often impacted by things that have happened to you or fears that essentially hold you back. Counselling, simply put, is like personal development which can be for 
everyone! To help you understand the process a bit more, here are aspects about counselling that everyone should look over at least once.
Counselling Is Not A Sign Of Weakness
There is often times the heavy handed approach to counselling that admitting you have a problem is a sign of weakness. This idea couldn’t be further from the truth, and it could actually be setting you back. Taking the time to come clean and let someone know that you have a problem or need help takes a lot of strength and courage; it is not weak to seek out the help of a counsellor.
Counseling Is Not Just For People With Severe Issues
It can be said that pretty much anyone that has hardships in their everyday life can benefit from counseling. Though the belief is often times that people with serious mental illnesses are the ones getting help, the reality is that if you have stress in your life, adjustment problems, or you’re going through a rough patch, getting a counsellor to help you out can make a world of difference.
Counselors Do Not Tell You What To Do
If you’ve reached your breaking point, it’s probably due time that you get help. Unfortunately, many people that are faced with tough situations receive biased advice from friends and family, and if that involves death or an illness, usually they tend to be firm in the way they tell you what to do. The reality behind counselling is that all counsellors believe that only you can know what’s really good for you. That means the counselor isn’t there to tell you what to do, how to live your life, or how to make decisions.
A good counselor can help you recognize what changes you would like to make in your life and how you can emotionally handle it all. However, by no means will a counselor lead you to a path, unless you personally figure out by talking to a professional what you want to do. Think of it like this: getting counseling is comparable to signing up for life coaching sessions. Just like a life coach, a counsellor can give you hints.
There Is No Judgment In Counseling
It is common to feel the concern about being judged in counselling. Most clients that sit down to chat with a counselor often get the feeling that the way they think and feel is going to be judged by the mental health professional. Don’t forget that how you feel is completely personal and no one that is an expert in the field of mental health will judge you as their role is to help and facilitate. Your counselor is there to make your life better and infinitely more fulfilling. Usually those who are most concerned about this are also anxious about judgement in their personal life too so this can be something that you work on too.
Counseling Should Not Be Your Last Resort
The fact is that most people wait until the last second to get the help they need. Just like with health problems, it never pays to wait until the last minute when things can spiral out of control; usually things get worse. The problem with waiting is that your issues can pile up until you reach a point where you may develop suicidal tendencies or need to be medicated for depression.
We all have tough situations in our lives to think about, and one of the truest facts about counseling is that getting help the moment things get tough is a good idea. Proactively working with a counselor can save you significant amounts of emotional distress.
Your Sessions Are Completely Confidential
By law, mental health professionals must keep with confidentiality agreements. That means whatever you say to your counselor is completely safe and will not be shared with others. However, there are some exceptions to this case:
– a judge sends a court order for the records to be released
– you may become a threat to others or yourself
– or if you consent
Regardless of these facts, if your counselor must release your information, you will be officially notified.
This concludes our top helpful facts about counseling, and it is our hope that now that some of the most common myths have been debunked, you will get help as necessary. It is never weak to seek expert advice, and you will not be judged on the things you share with your counselor. Everyone can benefit from counseling, and there is no reason to let your life spiral out of control when help is so easily attained in person.