At some point in our lives, we have all suffered from what we may call “crazy” tendencies, but to label ourselves as “crazy” is incorrect. A counselor may work together with a psychologist or psychiatrist to diagnosis a particular problem. The diagnosis will vary for each individual, depending on the severity and impact on a person’s day-to-day functioning.

With some symptoms such as depression and anxiety, there are “chemical imbalances” in the brain or body that need to be treated in order for a person to benefit fully from counseling. Medications can assist in healthy bodily functioning and may be needed on a short-term or long-term basis, depending on the individual. Medications can only be prescribed by a medical doctor or psychiatrist. Careful monitoring is often required to help control any side effects or allergic reactions.

Note: Alcoholics and drug addicts sometimes need medication when coming off a “bender” but rarely maintain sobriety if they continue to use these. Some people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs may have other problems and need prescribed medications to alleviate these conditions.

Going to counseling will often help to solve problems, but there are times when counseling doesn’t help. Even well-trained and experienced counselors using the most effective techniques find that their counselees do not always improve.

Counselors are there to help you help yourself. They provide support, encouragement, and education. A counselor’s goal is for you to gain self-understanding, good communication skills, and self-actualisation.

Counseling does not offer a “quick fix” solution to problems. Depending on a client’s issues, sometimes things may even get worse, before beginning to improve. This is because, as we begin to learn more about ourselves through counseling, things sometimes surface that we are unprepared for and will take some time to adjust to and work through. This is a normal part of the counseling “process.”

Counseling can stimulate personality growth and development. It also involves teaching and developing competencies in social, personal and professional living. Counseling can improve your quality of life by assisting in areas such as time management, stress reduction, relaxation, financial planning and organization.

Confidentiality is one of the only means of developing a therapeutic alliance. When the client feels warmth, genuineness, & empathy, trust begins to develop. This trust turns into confidence. Confidentiality may have to be breached when a client says that they have a plan to hurt themselves or another person.

There are many types of training programs for counselors. These programmes will often focus on a variety of techniques and theories. Each counselor as an individual will incorporate the techniques/theories that they most believe in to develop their counseling style. Some counselors will choose to specialize in an area such as families, children, groups, adults, teenagers, etc. Other counselors may find addiction counseling rewarding.

Just because counseling may not have worked for you in the past does not mean this will always be true. People go through life stages and, at certain times, are more open to counseling. Current life circumstances can help or hinder in your relationship with the counselor. As all counselors are individuals, you may find you work better with a different counselor. It may take some time to find the right counselor for you, just as we sometimes need to seek a “second opinion” for a medical diagnosis from a doctor.

Any man or woman can have life experiences that may require the assistance of a professional counselor.

Counseling attempts to provide encouragement and guidance for those who are facing losses, decisions, or disappointment. Counseling is a process that most of the time requires openness from the counselee. All counseling techniques have at least four basic characteristics: They seek to arouse the belief that help is available/ possible, correct erroneous beliefs of the world, develop good social living skills, and help counselees accept themselves as persons of worth.

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Can counseling help? Yes, call EAP at 949-9559.