What Is Counselling?
Nowadays young people have taken a serious approach to counselling due to the rise in suicide and mental disorders affected during the Covid period. The death of actor Sushanth Singh Rajput has made India’s youth aware of how serious mental illnesses are and how they can affect everyone. But it does not answer the question of stigma surrounding the significance of mental health and therapy problems. There is also a greater portion of the nation’s population who still feel that mental health problems are not to be concerned about. There is a propensity to believe that seeing a psychiatrist is for ‘crazy’ or ‘mad’ individuals. Yet many assume that people find answers to their every problem by therapy.
Unlike olden times, counselling is not a strange word for the world today. But what does counselling actually mean? The Concise Oxford Dictionary (9th Edition) gives the definition of counselling as “the process of assisting and guiding clients, especially by a trained person on a professional basis, to resolve especially personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties.” Counselling is a self-reflection process rather than a problem-solver. More importantly, counselling is not just for people who are ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’. It is for anyone who finds difficulty in coping with day to day routines, anyone who needs non-judgmental support, anyone facing serious mental health issues during any point of life. Counselling is a process where the counsellor assists or guides you to have more awareness of yourself. It is strictly prohibited to give advice or suggestions during the process of counselling, which makes what counsellors do different from what teachers or our parents do.
When to meet a Counsellor?
For visiting a counsellor, there is no particular time, age or problem. It is possible to see counsellors once a month for unconditional support. Knowing when a loved one needs therapy and persuading them to meet a counsellor is also crucial. The key reasons for a counselor’s visit are:-
- Difficulty in controlling emotions.
It is an essential element of mental wellbeing to feel and experience every emotion. But if, for a longer period of time, you feel furious, sad, frustrated without any apparent purpose and have trouble managing these emotions, it is necessary to understand the intensity. This could be because of some underlying mental disorder. One is recommended to see a counsellor at this stage.
- Issues in physical health
It has been shown that mental health conditions are also mirrored in our bodies. Sleep difficulties, eating problems, discomfort in the whole body or portions of the body, tiredness, weaker immune system, etc. can also occur due to problems with mental health. If physical health problems do not seem to change, even after seeing a doctor, take some advice and see a psychologist.
- Can’t perform well at work or school
A common indication of mental health problems is a drop in performance at school or work. Often, this is not realized by educators or co-workers. But at this point, it is necessary to visit a counsellor rather than punish or blame yourself.
- Suicidal thoughts
It is quite tragic that the suicidal symptoms a loved one exhibits are not heard by many individuals. It is mistaken by many to be an attention-seeking activity. The person should be instantly persuaded, whatever the case, to meet a counsellor. Many suicides could have been stopped if sufficient care and treatment had been made available.
- Relationship issues
It may be a symptom of some sort of mental health problem when one can’t establish or sustain healthy relationships. The problems between couples are taken lightly by saying that these problems are prevalent in every home, that relationship issues can cause major problems in life. It is important to take relationship problems with parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, and partners or with anyone seriously.
- Faced any trauma
It’s unpredictable to face trauma. It can occur at any point in life. It may be part of a natural or man-made tragedy, a victim of physical or sexual assault, a loved one’s death, injuries, etc. Mental wellbeing can be severely impaired by these problems. Yet with therapy, this can be resolved.
- Any other problems
Wanted non-judgmental support, intended to start a new life, confused about making decisions, wanted to take major decisions in life, regretted the past decisions, depending on substances like drugs or alcohol, or anything, counsellors are there to assist you and bring new meaning to your life.
It is also a big deal in this country to visit a counsellor or psychotherapist. But it’s important to note that there’s no happy and fulfilled life without good mental health. Without a balanced mind, all those materialistic things would seem pointless. The value of taking therapy seriously and maintaining a peaceful life is extremely important.
