What is Counseling?
Counseling is a collaborative session between the therapist and the client.
A professional counselor helps the client identify goals and solutions to problems that cause emotional turmoil in their lives.
Counselors seek to improve communication, coping skills, self-esteem, and change negative behavioral patterns of the client. The overall goal of the therapist is to improve the quality of life of the patient.
Does Counseling Really Work?
The actual benefits of counseling have been demonstrated in many studies. Numerous studies have shown that people who were active in therapy did better compared to those who were passive.
Psychotherapy had produced positive effects in more than 92% of the participants who decided to undergo counseling for their mental and emotional issues.
Do I Really Need Counseling?
This is a very common question asked by many clients. But it’s not easy to answer. Therapy is a process of personal growth and can be used to help you with any kind of mental or emotional issue you have.
If you have a specific emotional issue, relationship issues, or just feeling down, counseling can help uplift your spirits and enhance the quality of life.
Ask us a Question
Feel free to ask any therapy related questions over the phone or get send your question via this form below. Your message will be dispatched directly to our staff who will answer as soon as they can.
Sometimes it might not be clear where to start or what to talk about. Before starting therapy, you might have certain ideas or expectations for how to be in therapy, such as not disagreeing with the therapist or not asking many questions. Below are a few things that might be helpful to get the most out of your therapy:
- Don’t pretend to be okay. It’s okay to talk about things that feel embarrassing or scary
- Regularly attend your sessions and take an active part in them
- Be prepared for each session and be ready to focus on a problem or issue
- Work collaboratively with your counselor and be willing to explore new behaviors both within and outside the sessions
- Be open and honest with your counselor about how the sessions are going for you, particularly if you don’t think you’re being helped
- Ask questions. If your therapist is talking about something you do not understand, or you feel uncertain about a particular suggestion, ask questions
Yes, everything you say is confidential and our therapists have taken auth to protect your privacy during counseling sessions. You can ask our therapists questions before the session begins if you have concerns about the confidentiality of the process. But there are some exceptions to the rule of confidentiality. By law, the therapist is required to report:
- Threats of harm to oneself
- Threats of harm to other
- Suspected child or elder abuse – if the client is the victim or perpetrator
The short answer is – YOU. Therapy is a personal step that helps many clients along the way. Your success depends on how open you are to the process. If you are willing to take the time to look within and do the work necessary for change, you will be successful.
Many sessions are between 1/2-hour to one hour. But the time in counseling depends on what you are trying to solve.