National Counseling Awareness Month

April is Counseling Awareness Month. This observance provides an opportunity to recognize the counselors, or therapists, who make a difference in the lives of so many people. Counseling provides a way for you to get professional help with problems you can’t handle or don’t know how to resolve by yourself.

You may need to seek help from a counselor if you—

• Spend 5 out of 7 days feeling unhappy
• Regularly cannot sleep at night
• Are experiencing troubles related to placing an elder in a nursing home or in alternative care
• Have lost someone or something (such as a job)
• Have a chronic or acute medical illness
• Can no longer prioritize what is most important in your life
• Feel that you can no longer manage your stress. 1

There are times in life when all of us may need help addressing problems and issues that cause us emotional pain or make us feel overwhelmed. You may find it helpful to talk to a trained professional counselor when you are experiencing these kinds of problems.

You don’t have to be “sick” to benefit from counseling. Counseling is much more than a treatment for mental illness; just as often it is a means to help us deal with difficult issues from our past as part of our normal development.

Sometimes it’s helpful to see that what you’re going through is normal. Counseling can serve as a reality check or a sounding board from someone with no investment in the outcome. Professional counselors offer the caring, expert assistance that we often need during difficult times. 2

A counselor will listen to your problem, ask questions, and help you clarify what the problem is and how you want to deal with it. The counselor may help you think about different ways of looking at the issue or teach you skills to help you handle difficult situations.

Therapy can help you increase self-esteem, develop healthier family relationships, or deal with past memories that may be affecting your present life. Therapy can help you change many things in your life through your own hard work. You can take the skills you learn in counseling and apply them throughout your life.

Through successful counseling, you can begin to feel that something has changed. You may try out new behaviors and get good results from them. People may begin to notice that there is something different about you.

If you think you need a counselor or someone you know needs a counselor, the best way to find a good one is from a referral—through your doctor, friend, or insurance provider. If you think your child needs to talk to a counselor, you can contact his school’s counseling office.

You need to find the right “fit” in therapy, however. If, after a period of time working with a one counselor, you feel that you are not getting the help that you need, let the person know, and if this doesn’t help, you may need to look for a different counselor. It may take several tries until you find the right counselor for you. But don’t give up until you’ve found someone with whom you feel comfortable. It can make a huge difference in your life and in your relationships.

Sources
1 American Counseling Association. http://www.counseling.org/site/PageServer?pagename=resources_faqs, last referenced 4/19/2004.
2 Ibid.

Additional Resources
• National Institute of Mental Health, Or call: 1-800-421-4211
• National Mental Health Association, Or call: 1-800-989-6642
• American Counseling Association