The idea of going to counseling can be stressful.  Some believe counseling is for people who are severely disturbed or have strange problems.  Counseling is for everyone as we all experiences stress, family and relationship problems as well as confusion while making decisions.   

 

Contrary to common belief, counseling is not only used when the individual is going through emotional distress but also as a preventive measure to assure that a problem does not get out of control.  Some people choose to seek counseling to resolve a specific issue such as personal problems, difficulties at work, professional struggles or simply to anticipate future struggles.  Talking to a loved one about our problems can offer support and advice, yet the individual will be biased  because of our relationship with them.   They will typically try to comfort us and offer a solution to our problem.  A counselor's reponsibility is not to give advice but provide the necessary tools to be able to independently resolve the current issue and future problems.

 

Counseling is the collaborative process in which a clinician provides treatment to an individual.  The goal of counseling is to help the person reach emotional stability and resolve the issues for which they  decided to seek professional help.  The treatment intensity will vary for every individual.  Some clients may require weekly visits where others may only need to meet with the counselor once a month.  Counseling is established through treatment planning which sets specific goals and objectives aimed to conclude the individual's issues.