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Simply stated,
counseling is a relationship in which a professional helps another
person better understand and deal with their issues or difficulties
in order to help them improve their quality of life. Counseling is a
process of change and it can be challenging. It requires time and
effort but it is worth it. Counseling relationships can be
short-term (one to a few sessions) or long-term depending on the
issues addressed.
A counselor is a professional who listens to your problems and helps
you to create the tools to deal with your issues in a more positive,
effective and healthy manner. A good counselor should be genuine,
respectful, non-judgmental, objective, supportive and knowledgeable,
in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for the
client.
Some common myths
or misconceptions about counseling:
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Only “crazy” people seek
counseling. Truth: People can seek counseling for a variety of
“normal and sane” reasons such as dealing with a divorce, grief,
stress, career issues, spirituality, personal growth, anger,
sadness, childhood abuse issues…etc.
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Going to counseling means
you are a “weak” person. Truth: Being human and asking for help
does not mean you are weak. Some of us are lucky enough to have
a good support system that we can turn to for help. Others are
not as fortunate or may simply feel uncomfortable talking to
family and friends about certain topics.
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Counseling should be your last
resort to deal with problems. Truth: This is truly an
unfortunate yet common misconception. Many people view
counseling as a way to deal with life problems once they have
developed, but it can also be used as prevention. Just as
prevention is important in the medical field, it can also be
used in the counseling field to improve the overall quality of
life by learning healthy ways to cope with life’s many
challenges.
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