Mental Health Counselling

Everyone goes through various amounts of stress each day. Whether it’s to do with money, work, friendships or other relationships, situations can change each and every day. This can stress you out, and may leave you feeling low, depressed, or anxious.  When this happens, many people find seeking professional help from a counsellor very beneficial. But how does mental health counselling actually help? And is it for everyone?

What mental health problems does a counsellor help with?

Experienced mental health counsellors are trained to work with numerous situations and associated feelings, so they can help address the issues at hand in a safe and confidential manner. Below are some of the common feelings that mental health counselling may be able to help with.

Anxiety and Stress

We all go through times of stress or anxiety. Work and relationships can trigger these kinds of feelings, by putting you in a position where you may be feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Whether you need to present a project to a group of colleagues at work, perhaps you’re having a challenging time with deadlines, or maybe a relationship outside of work isn’t working out; feelings of stress can impact on your performance. Stress management counselling may be able to help you work through these feelings and help you to come up with some strategies that could be helpful.  Read more about specific stress management programs and anxiety treatment programs available.

Grief

Grief can be a hard emotion to process. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a relationship breakdown, or any other situation making you experience grief; you may find some solace in talking through these emotions with a professional.

Depression

Depression can hit even the most “upbeat” and happiest of people. Some people will present a happy exterior to others when they’re feeling particularly low and sad on the inside. Depression can be a result of various situations and life events, and a counsellor can help you to understand why you may be feeling this way and help you to resolve issues that keep you feeling stuck in this state.  Read about depression treatment programs here.

Anger

Many people will feel bouts of anger throughout their day, but if it’s starting to affect the way you live, work or relationships with others; it could be a problem. People may feel angry internally, say things towards others in anger, or even lash out in physical ways, either hurting themselves, objects or other people. It’s important to address these kinds of feelings in a safe environment, and discover the real reason/s behind your anger. A counsellor can also help by giving you anger management strategies.

Trauma and Abuse

Many people will experience events throughout their life that can be traumatic. Sometimes traumatic feelings can be brought up years after the actual event, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Past feelings can also be triggered by normal daily events, and can sometimes be quite unexpected. The past event doesn’t necessarily have to be re-enacted – in fact, feelings can even be triggered via seemingly harmless associations such as conversations, a place, a scent, or even a particular sound. Working through these feelings with a counsellor can be very helpful.

What happens during mental health counselling?

Mental health counselling can vary greatly depending on the counsellor, their methods, and your situation. In general, the initial meeting will be a bit of a get-to-know you session. The counsellor will ask you a few questions about who you are, what you do each day, your family, your job, and your overall current situation. They will want to get a sense of why you have enlisted their services and what outcomes you are hoping to achieve. Further sessions will start to address the issues at hand. If you’re working through grief, stress, depression or anxiety, the counsellor may want to ask you about the situation, and how it has worsened recently. Counsellors will often ask you to talk through the situation and how you’re feeling in order for you to get a better idea about yourself, and what is going on around you. One thing is for certain – a counsellor should not tell you what to do. A counsellor’s job is not to tell you how to live your life, what decisions to make, and what are the best things for you to do. You are the only person who can make any decisions about your own life. A counsellor is there to help you to look at your situation from a new perspective, so you feel like you can make a decision, and have confidence in making that decision. They can also give you some tools and techniques to help you to execute your decisions.  Integrated Health Specialists offer many different psychology and coaching programs to improve your mental health, depending on what your issues are.

When should I see a counsellor?

If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed and more stressed than usual, then you may want to see a counsellor. A counsellor can help to address your feelings and situation without being biased, and work with you so you feel more in control of your life. Family and friends often have good intentions when telling you what they think is the right or best thing for you to do. However, if you want to make decisions for yourself and just talk through some things that are on your mind, a counsellor may be a better option as they are completely objective. Counsellors will also be able to help if your needs are beyond their services. For example, if you’re feeling anxious at work or at home and the counsellor thinks you may be experiencing something more than heightened anxious feelings (such as generalised anxiety disorder or agoraphobia), they can refer you to a local GP or a psychologist who can help you work through your issues. Counsellors are a great help when you need to try and clear your mind, and determine where to go next in your journey through life.  A counsellor can give you some perspective, and help get you back on your feet and to your old self again.  Click here to read about reputable counselling on the Gold Coast.