People often ask when they should go to counselling. Most people take preventive steps to maintain their health, like with annual wellness checkups. The same is true for your mental health and mental well-being. Counselling can be just as much preventive as it can be corrective.
In more recent years, largely in part to social media, awareness about counselling and how it can be beneficial has been growing. However, counselling can remain a private matter that you can keep to yourself. You don’t have to tell your friends or family or post on social media you are going to counselling.
If you have been thinking about talking to a counsellor, here are four signs counselling could be beneficial for you.
Sign #1: You feel stuck or trapped.
Are you having marital problems? Maybe you just went through a breakup. You might feel like you are just “going through the motions” of your daily routines. If you are finding it difficult to move on and forward, counselling can help. Counselling explores why you feel stuck and creates goals to develop a path forward.
Sign #2: Your mind is constantly “on.”
Do you find it difficult to quiet your mind when it is time for bed? Maybe you are worried about what others think about you. You might constantly feel overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. Counselling provides you with someone who is there to listen to whatever is on your mind so you can clear your mind in a safe, secure, caring, and judgment-free environment.
Sign #3: “Small” things are setting you off.
Do you feel on edge, angry, and irritable? Do your family, friends, and co-workers constantly annoy you? Do strangers also annoy you when driving or shopping? Do you find yourself making snap judgments about others? Are you on the defensive and take offense from others?
These are all things that something is going on with you. Talking to a counsellor can help you find out why you are on edge and the underlying causes. Your counsellor can help you explore your emotions, deal with them in a productive manner, and develop effective ways to address anger and frustration.
Sign #4: You have problems talking to others.
Do you have a hard time expressing your feeling and emotions with your special someone? Do you find being assertive verbally with your children is difficult? Are you soft-spoken and afraid to speak up? Are you misinterpreting what others say?
These are all types of communication issues that people can get help working through by going to counselling. Some people just need guidance to find their inner-self and learn how to communicate assertively and be taken seriously.
As you can see, there are all sorts of reasons to go to counselling. Yet, you don’t need to have issues and problems to see a counsellor. Some people just want someone they can trust and talk to who will listen and provide feedback.
To schedule a counselling session in Toronto, please feel free to contact Ellen Starr at 416-488-3102 today!
