How to Know When It’s Time For Counselling

As we go along on our path in life, we collect information from our experiences, emotions, and thoughts, allowing us to form our identity, worldview, opinions & beliefs. Throughout our path in life, we may form negative perceptions of the world around us, including our self-image and core beliefs about ourselves and others. Our worldview and perception of life are profoundly shaped by our past lived experiences and encounters. As we carry some of these negative beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us, it may lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, grief, loneliness, and poor self-esteem (Sexton & Whiston, 1994). Counselling and talk therapy provide individuals with an outlet to express their innermost thoughts and emotions without judgment, providing a safe environment to explore their thoughts with curiosity and learn new ways to look at situations and themselves (Pennebaker, 1997; Sexton & Whiston, 1994). Counselling offers the possibility for personal development and self-growth to occur, allowing you to become a better and more fulfilled version of yourself.

How Counselling May Help You

There are certain days which may impact our mood; maybe something negative happened at work, or perhaps you are facing conflict within your family, leading to depression, anxiety, and negative thoughts. Some days, our straight path is a winding path with curves and bends, making it difficult to clearly see our destination or goal. There are also days when we are faced with positive events, giving us a boost of serotonin or dopamine, allowing us to feel happy and fulfilled. The fluctuation from negative to positive events or circumstances may allow us to feel a type of balance; however, this is where the vicious cycle may begin in our life since the negative thoughts, events, or emotions we are feeling and pushing down may temporarily be covered up by a few positive interactions or events that occur, thus, giving us a break from the pain we feel. However, when another trigger or negative event occurs, it may bring up past hurts, negativity, or struggles that we were once ignoring. Addressing these negative things that we so often push down will prevent us from falling back into the vicious cycle of depression, anxiety, loneliness, or other negative affects (psychological struggles) and provide us with a straight path to follow once again. Exploring our challenges in life and becoming vulnerable in counselling allows us to connect with the hurt parts of our self, giving us the autonomy, freedom, and ability to heal these areas in our life and self with a trained counsellor.

What Are the Signs That You May Benefit From Counselling

When it comes to identifying signs when our mental health is struggling, we must stop and ask ourselves some questions, becoming self-aware of our emotions. One question to ask yourself is, “how have I been feeling on a scale of 1-10 this past month?”. Many times, this simple question allows us to assess and identify if there is anything we need to focus on or bring to light, allowing us to reflect and seek counselling. A few signs that you may need to seek counselling include the following:

*feeling overwhelmed lately

*feeling an overall sense of dissatisfaction in life

*feeling more down/sad than usual

*isolating more or withdrawing socially

*feeling anxious, nervous, or fearful

*feeling burnt out

It can be easy to push aside some of these signs of mental health struggles; however, if these are not dealt with and left untreated, they may begin to accumulate and lead to moderate or severe depression, anxiety, or overall burnout. At Straight Path Counselling, we offer sincere and professional counselling in Abbotsford that will help address any issue or struggle you are facing in life. Straight Path Counselling is founded and located in Abbotsford, British Columbia and caters to Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley, Surrey, and the Vancouver area. If you think counselling is an option you would like to try, reach out to Straight Path Counselling and book your session with one of our Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC). We can help you find your path in life and also make your path clear, allowing you to find fulfillment, purpose, and joy once again.

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Book your session at https://straightpathcounselling.janeapp.com

References

Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8(3), 162-166.

Sexton, T. L., & Whiston, S. C. (1994). The effectiveness of counselling: A review of outcome studies. The Counseling Psychologist, 22(3), 379-416. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000094223003

Erica Fussi, M.A, B.A, RCC

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