Seven Ways You Can Benefit
from Counseling

People seek counseling for a variety of reasons. You don’t have to wait for your life to become unmanageable before seeking the counsel of a trained therapist. Unfortunately, many individuals wait until they experience a crisis to take a look at how they are feeling and decide whether it’s time to make some changes. Life will always throw us curve balls, but we don’t have to face things on our own. A little extra help can be useful.

Science Daily identifies the positive therapeutic effect of putting your feelings into words. Talking about your worries in the open, especially to a professional who can help, is good for your well-being and can have many positive effects.

When you decide to see a therapist, it’s important to understand that counseling is a two-way street that requires effort from you to make it work. Here are seven ways to make counseling as beneficial for you as possible.

  • Choose a therapist that is right for you. Finding a therapist means searching for someone you can share your concerns with. It makes sense to seek out a professional with whom you can establish a warm and safe therapeutic relationship to achieve success in counseling.
  • Stay focused. You may initially feel nervous and even consider canceling your first appointment. This is understandable, though you’ve already come this far, and you know help may be within arm’s reach. Remain focused on the reason why you’re beginning therapy.
  • Be an active participant. Counseling is a collaborative endeavor between you and your therapist to improve your overall health. Stay committed to the process by remaining engaged and present during your sessions. It can help to maintain a journal, not only to monitor your progress, but to take down notes you can refer to when you meet with your therapist.
  • Always be honest. Counseling is only effective with honesty. No matter how good a therapist is, they are not a mind reader. It may be difficult, but you need to be honest and embrace the truth to make the changes you want for yourself. It is important to find a therapist whom you know will keep sensitive information private and confidential.
  • Accept feedback with an open mind. Counseling can sometimes trigger intense feelings, such as anxiety, grief, guilt, or shame. It may involve digging up the past and revisiting painful memories. Counseling can make you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. While this can be difficult, approaching the process with an open mind can help you find resolution.
  • Stick with it. It’s worth sticking with the process. It requires patience and dedication to work toward change. If you stay committed to your goals for therapy, and give yourself the time you need, you can expect to succeed.
  • Put what you learn into practice. If you spend the time to learn new habits, new methods, or new patterns it would be wise to put them into practice. If you want to see changes in your life, you need to make them happen. Counseling can provide the strategies, perspective and tools. All you need to do is use them.

Take the First Step Toward a Beneficial Counseling Experience

Counseling takes time, energy, and commitment to change your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It is not an overnight process; it takes hard work from both therapist and client. Integrated Behavioral Health and Medicine cited findings from Lambert and Thomson in the Journal of Counseling and Development regarding the effectiveness of counseling. While marked improvements can be noticed in just one session, 50 percent of clients showed significant change within seven to ten visits. This means the amount of benefit you can gain from counseling depends on your commitment to the process.

Begin your process with Carolina Counseling Services — Pinehurst, NC, where independently contracted counselors are available to help you. Call today to schedule your first appointment.

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