Person 1: Have you heard? They are seeing a counsellor.
Person 2: Yeah, I guess they must be in a really bad way.
Does this sound familiar? Perhaps it’s a conversation you fear people having about you if you were to start counselling. Perhaps it’s a conversation you have even taken part in yourself at some point.
That’s OK. I know that in the UK there can be a stigma attached to counselling. But I want to change that.
Seeking help when you are struggling takes an immense amount of courage.
It is the mental health equivalent of finding a lump and finally going to get it checked out after months of avoiding the doctors. No one would ever knock you for facing your fears about your physical health, and so they shouldn’t about facing your fears when it comes to your mental health.
Seeing a counsellor doesn’t have to be a last resort.
Yes, a counsellor can help you through the worst patches of your life, but they can also help you avoid reaching that point in the first place.
By learning techniques and strategies to take care of yourself and build resilience when you are in an OK place, you can help protect your mental health when life (inevitably) throws you a curve ball. Instead of seeking counselling as a reaction to mental pain, it can be used as a proactive guard against it.
Counselling can help you navigate through life more generally.
Often, we assume that we must have a problem to talk things through with an impartial third party. But counselling, like life coaching, can be used to help you work out what is important to you and what path you want to take in life. As counselling digs a little deeper than life coaching, you can be sure that the path you follow as a result will be more deeply considered and more aligned with your true self.
Proactive counselling makes life flow more smoothly.
Now, I know that paying for someone to help you through life unless you really have to may seem like a waste of money. We would probably all rather spend the money on a Nando’s than soul searching. But whilst meals out and treating ourselves occasionally is important, so is working on our mental resilience and making sure we are on the right path.
So often we don’t realise how much time we have wasted, or how much we have been struggling unnecessarily until it’s too late. So, whilst I will always be there for you if you reach a point where you don’t feel you can carry on, I am also here to support you with the journey.
Let’s tear down the stigma together and debunk the myth. Counselling is not just a last resort.
If you are curious about counselling, but still unsure how it can benefit you, I welcome you to get in touch. You can call or text me on: 07588 117305 Or if that is a bit too nerve-racking (I totally understand that it can be), you can always email me at: sophie@sbcounselling.co.uk .
Hoping to hear from you soon!
Sophie
