Counselling is a talking therapy designed for those suffering from psychological distress or experiencing difficulties that have a debilitating impact on their mental well-being. These difficulties can range from anxiety, dealing with anger, bereavement, depression, identity crisis, the breakdown of a relationship, stress, trauma or feeling suicidal. Counselling can also be very beneficial for those who need a little guidance to help cope with the various pressures one tends to encounter on a day to day basis. It provides the individual with a space to talk to a professional in complete confidence about their deepest fears, psychological anguish or problems without fear of judgement of one’s beliefs, culture, gender, race, religion or sexuality. A good counsellor will listen attentively at all times with empathy and unconditional positive regard for the client.
Counselling can have a cathartic effect, as the process of ‘off-loading’ problems in the sessions so that they are ‘contained’ and then ‘fed back’ by the counsellor, in a manner that is more ‘psychologically manageable’, helps to lessen the intensity of painful feelings and any trauma surrounding them. As the sessions progress, individuals begin to develop a better understanding of their own thought processes and are able to recognise particular unhelpful patterns of behaviour which may have prevented them from reaching their full potential in the past. One of the aims of counselling, is to help the individual eventually reach a stage known as ‘actualisation’, this is the process of realising one’s full potential in the hope of taking a step towards positive change thereby improving their mental well-being.
Counselling can also help lessen the psychological hold long standing difficulties or problems may have on an individual. By ‘working through’ them over and over again in the sessions until ‘a psychological shift’ gradually begins to occur, it is possible to begin to view them from a new and far less distressing perspective than before. Counselling can also help to resolve ‘unresolved’ childhood trauma that ‘unconsciously’ continues to impact on the present and future due to its strong psychological hold on the mind. This in turn can help reduce anxiety and stress including debilitating effects of psychosomatic symptoms that may occur as a result of the psychological distress being experienced.
“Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just ..... start.” – Ijeoma Umebinyuo