There is a stigma around counseling and what it could mean if you need to see a counselor. Here at New Leaf Counseling, we want to dismantle that stigma by talking about reasons it could be helpful to counseling services and address the positive outcomes of seeing a counselor.
Couples counseling, grief counseling, grief Counseling due to the loss of a loved one, help through depression and or anxiety are all more obvious reasons that someone may consider seeing a counselor. At New Leaf, we wanted to address some reasons counseling could be helpful that you might not have thought about before. Here are five reasons why you should consider seeing a counselor. This list is limited but will hopefully give you some things to consider if you have been thinking about counseling for yourself or a loved one.
Loneliness
This past year alone has created collective loneliness due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing. Meeting with a counselor can create a space for you to process current events without fear of judgment and help you not feel so alone. Counseling is a safe space where you express your feelings and not worry about jeopardizing a relationship in the process. More than that, just having an outlet to talk to someone can unburden some of that loneliness you may be experiencing.
Self-awareness
Ever wonder why you respond the way that you do in certain high-stress situations? We believe that all behavior makes sense in context. Seeing a counselor can help raise your self-awareness and, in turn, change patterns that are not helpful for personal growth. Counselors can help you learn new coping strategies and different ways to respond when triggered by another person's behaviors.
Raising Children
You've probably heard it numerous times by now, but in these unprecedented times, it can be overwhelming to raise kids in the midst of it. Parents have found themselves wondering how to help their kids cope with today's tragedies because they're still learning to cope themselves. Parents wonder if they are "doing it right," and they often worry about the trauma their kids will carry from these formative experiences. Seeing a counselor will not only give you helpful parenting tools as you raise children in today's world, but it will give you a space to process your own worries and concerns so that you don't unintentionally place them on your kids.
Achieving Goals
You find yourself feeling stuck or lacking ambition? Do you see your to-do list for the day and feel overwhelmed before you even start? Counseling can be a great tool to assist you in achieving your own goals. It creates a space for you to declutter what's going on in your brain and make a practical plan to move forward in a way that doesn't overwhelm you.
Big Emotions
It is not uncommon to find yourself feeling emotions in a big way, but it can sometimes feel scary and out of control. Do you ever experience extreme anger over "little" experiences? DO you feel deep sadness over something you would have normally shaken off? Seeing a counselor could help you process those emotions and discover if and when there is something bigger going on underneath the surface that you have yet to uncover.
We know this list is just a start to all of the examples of why someone would benefit from counseling, but we hope that it was helpful for you to start processing if you personally should seek out a counselor. If you connected with any of these reasons or would like to reach out to New Leaf for a consultation, we would love to connect with you. We have four locations and can meet virtually or in-person, depending on your comfort level. Our website has information about our available counselors and therapists and more information about New Leaf and the services we offer.