Loss, stress,
confusion, and the unknown, these are a few things that many people deal with
on a daily basis. When trying to maneuver through life there will be times when
we face at least one of these situations. Sometimes the solution can be easy
but there are times where there is no clear answer. In times like this it is
good to gain supportive help from a counselor.
A counselor is a person who has had training to give advice and help guide a
person to solutions that help them get over a barrier that is hindering them
from moving forward in life. According to the American Counseling Association the process of counseling
is when the counselor helps the client identify goals and potential solutions
to problems which cause turmoil, seek to improve communication and coping
skills, strengthen self-esteem, and promote behavior change and optimal mental
health. Since people encounter different situations that can affect them there
are different types of counseling that can be helpful in most areas. I will
list a few of them.
The first one is marriage counseling. This is counseling for a married couple
who are having troubles in their marriage due to personal issues, lack of
proper communication, or they just simply can’t get along. This counseling will
allow the couple to work on ways to improve their relationship by working on
and resolving their problems. Family counseling can involve a married couple
with children, siblings, extended family, or whatever the definition of family
might be for certain individuals. The counselor helps the family to deal with
the issues the family is having so they can work on healing and moving forward
together.
Another type of counseling is guidance counseling. These types of counselors
are there to help a person figure out what they would like to do in their life
or how to take themselves from one level to a higher one. You may be more
familiar with seeing guidance counselors in high schools and in colleges
however, there has been an increase in people becoming career and/or life
counselors. These counselors help people beyond the classroom.
There are substance abuse and mental health counselors. Substance abuse counselors help people who have a dependency
on drugs, alcohol, or both to get clean from their substance and learn how to
cope without them. A mental health counselor is there to help the person work
through their psychological and emotional issues and help them find healthier
ways to deal with their issues and to function in society. Sometimes this is in
conjunction with medications, so the counselor will also aide in making sure
the client is not becoming dependent on the medication.
The last one I will touch on is grief counseling. This type of counseling is
counseling that helps people deal with loss. Grief counseling is not to be
confused with some grief coaching which is a more modern way of helping
the person one on one whether it be over the phone or by online video calling.
This is an alternative way of counseling that is more convenient for the
client.
If a person needs help with coping, guidance, grieving or just to be heard
giving a counselor a try would be a great choice. There are many forms of
counseling to help with different situations a person may deal with. They offer
the help needed in a safe and effective way.