Are you in crisis? Can’t cope with your life situation? Is your relationship on the brink of collapse? Do you find it difficult to manage your day-to-day life? If the answer is yes, counselling could certainly be a way to help you move through your current situation. If the answer is no, you may believe that counselling has little to offer you. People often think of counselling as being only useful for the times in our lives when we are in deepest distress. There can also be perceptions that people who “need counselling” are unwell, inferior, or at least a little lost. Whilst it is true that counselling is a very useful tool when we are at rock bottom or feel we can’t cope with our situation, its benefits are certainly not limited to these circumstances. Counselling is a powerful tool which can benefit you wherever you are in your life’s path.
Many of us see life as an ongoing journey of growth and becoming. Whether the model for understanding this is religious, spiritual or one of self-development, there is a common theme of life meaningfully unfolding in a positive direction. You are growing. You are learning. You are becoming. Can any of us say that we have finished this journey? There is always more to learn, greater depths of meaning and purpose to discover. It is always possible to experience more happiness, peace and fulfillment. You can have deeper relationships with other people and the world around you. Life can become more amazing and beautiful. The stresses, disappointments and losses of connection and meaning can help to guide your way.
When you feel life as an ongoing process of growth, simple concepts such as “I need counselling” or “I don’t need counselling” begin to lose meaning. People are not simply either “well” or “unwell”, they are growing, evolving beings. Counselling can be used to support this growth and evolution, wherever you are on your journey. This is especially true with a style of counselling which has a broad and holistic approach. And even more so if you find a counsellor who you feel understands you and what is occurring for you.
A holistic counselling approach goes beyond the treatment of symptoms. The work often transcends the original “problem” which brings people to counselling and creates deep and lasting change in broader areas of their life. Change happens on the level of underlying patterns and habits which are part of who you are and how you see the world. Exploration of a specific issue may bring about unexpected openings and healings in other areas of your life. When a client and counsellor hold space for it, these shifts may be profound.
Wherever you are on your journey, to meet someone who understands you and supports you is a gift. To feel that you are truly seen, known and liked can be a very powerful thing. The right counselling relationship offers you the freedom and safety to explore who you are. You can do this without the same degree of fear of being judged or of damaging your relationships. The right counsellor for you can meet you wherever you are at, or at least be an undimmed support for you regardless of circumstance.
There are many ways we can help ourselves to move deeper into our lives, further along on our journey. Counselling is just one of them. It has the advantages of being intimate, highly personalised, and focused on exactly what you choose to explore. When you are such an active participant in the process it is empowering. You are an agent of your own growth and you have the power to sustain the change which occurs.
You may not “need counselling”. But taking part in counselling is a choice you can make anytime to heal yourself, grow into your potential and positively transform your life.