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Strengthening defense mechanism

What is professional counseling?
Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health.

How long does counseling take?
Ideally, counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more manageable or is resolved. However, some insurance companies and managed care plans may limit the number of sessions for which they pay. Check with your health plan to find out more about any limitations in your coverage.

HOW COUNSELING HELPS

Counseling helps people to:

Pinpoint problems – understand aspects of the problems that may be improved.

  • Identify negative or illogical thinking patterns that contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and to develop a more positive outlook.
  • Explore learned thoughts and behaviors that create or maintain problems.
  • Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.
  • Encourage support from family and friends.
  • Find solutions to life’s problems.
  • Discover personal strengths and how to use those strengths to grow stronger in other areas.

Counseling offers people the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to their difficulties and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and situational causes of those difficulties.

Types of Counseling

  • Individual Counseling

Individual counseling is a personal opportunity to receive support and experience growth during challenging times in life. Individual counseling can help one deal with many personal topics in life such as anger, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, marriage and relationship challenges, parenting problems, school difficulties, career changes, etc.

Individual counseling (sometimes called psychotherapy, talk therapy, or treatment) is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained mental health clinician in a safe, caring, and confidential environment. Counseling allows individuals to explore their feelings, beliefs, and behaviors, work through challenging or influential memories, identify aspects of their lives that they would like to change, better understand themselves and others, set personal goals, and work toward desired change.

Individual counseling is counseling focused on the individual’s immediate or near future concerns. Individual counseling may encompass career counseling and planning, grief after a loved one dies or dealing with problems at a job before they become big. Individual counseling is a one-on-one discussion between the counselor and the client, who is the person seeking treatment. The two form an alliance, relationship or bond that enables trust and personal growth.

  • Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

The Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling program prepares individuals to work in mental health centers, community agencies, private practice, and additional settings in which counselors support clients with relationship and family issues. Emphasis is placed on preparing counselors for systemic assessment and intervention in the counseling process with a focus on diversity and equity. Marriage, Couple, and Family counselors expand the traditional emphasis on the individual to attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary relationship networks such as couples and the family and take a holistic perspective to mental health care. Research studies repeatedly demonstrate the effectiveness of marriage and family counseling in treating the full range of mental and emotional disorders and health problems.

  • Group counseling

Community starts here.

Group counseling has been shown to be one of the most effective strategies to address most issues experienced by students, such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Discomfort in social situations
  • Challenges in relationships
  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Low self-esteem and confidence
  • Coping with difficult emotions
  • Academic stressors
  • Substance use
  • Grief
  • Eating concerns

For some students, the idea of joining a counseling group may sound intimidating and anxiety provoking. That hesitation and uncertainty is understandable, yet students report having positive and impactful experiences from participating in our groups, and feeling improvement in the areas of concern that motivated them to seek services

Group counseling provides students with the opportunity to connect with others in a safe, confidential and supportive space. Groups allow students to share about their experiences with others who can understand and relate to their concerns, connect across differences to learn new perspectives, and experiment with new ideas, behaviors, and ways of being or interacting. Through group engagement, students develop insights and skills that can be used to work through the challenges they face and improve their quality of life.

Types of Licensed Counselors

A commonality that most all counseling professions share is that they require at minimum a master’s degree education, post degree supervised clinical experience, and passing of the National Counselor Examination or an equivalent exam recognized by the state in which you will be practicing. All states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require licensure for licensed professional counselors or LPC’s.

Generally speaking, licensed counselors work with people that are suffering from mental health and behavioral or emotional issues. They are trained professionals that are there to help those individual and families in need. There are however, a multitude of other areas in which counselors are needed that don’t focus specifically on mental health or emotional problems. Various types of counselors can be there to help you work through difficult personal decisions, career planning, difficult relationships amongst other problems.

  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • School Counselors
  • Mental Health Counselors
  • Addiction and Substance Abuse Counselors
  • Rehabilitation Counselors
  • Spiritual Counselors
  • Geriatric Counselors
  • Veterans Counselors
  • Domestic Violence Counselors
  • Child Pediatric Counselors
  • Child Abuse Counselors
  • Community Mental Health Counselors
  • Suicide Counselors
  • Depression Counselors
  • Transformational Counselors
  • Grief Counselors
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Choosing the right counselor

At some time in our lives, each of us may feel overwhelmed and may need help dealing with our problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 30 million Americans need help dealing with feelings and problems that seem beyond their control — problems with a marriage or relationship, a family situation or dealing with losing a job, the death of a loved one, depression, stress, burnout or substance abuse. Those losses and stresses of daily living can at times be significantly debilitating. Sometimes we need outside help from a trained, licensed professional in order to work through these problems. Through therapy, psychologists help millions of Americans of all ages live healthier, more productive lives.

What to consider when making the choice

Psychologists and clients work together. The right match is important. Most psychologists agree that an important factor in determining whether or not to work with a particular psychologist, once that psychologist’s credentials and competence are established, is your level of personal comfort with that psychologist. A good rapport with your psychologist is critical. Choose one with whom you feel comfortable and at ease.

Questions to ask

  • Are you a licensed psychologist? How many years have you been practicing psychology?
  • I have been feeling (anxious, tense, depressed, etc.) and I’m having problems (with my job, my marriage, eating, sleeping, etc.). What experience do you have helping people with these types of problems?
  • What are your areas of expertise — for example, working with children and families?
  • What kinds of treatments do you use, and have they been proven effective for dealing with my kind of problem or issue?
  • What are your fees? (Fees are usually based on a 45-minute to 50-minute session.) Do you have a sliding-scale fee policy?
  • What types of insurance do you accept? Will you accept direct billing to or payment from my insurance company? Are you affiliated with any managed care organizations? Do you accept Medicare or Medicaid insurance?

The Importance of Counseling

There are many reasons for the importance of counselling. As the world becomes busier and busier, the need for counselling increases. People are faced with many challenges in life, can be very isolated, need trauma counselling or just need support. Add to this list the need for addiction counselling, depression, mental and behavioral health and you have a myriad of reasons for the need of counselling.