What is Counseling?

Counseling is a collaborative process between a client and a well-trained mental health professional. Counseling improves one’s overall functioning and quality of life. Counseling is not advice giving, nor is it someone telling another person how to live their life. Counseling is not just for those who suffer from more serious mental illness.

Over the course of a lifetime we all experience difficult and trying times. Often intelligent and strong people recognize they can use a little extra help in addressing an issue or could use a different perspective and attend counseling.

Therapists help individuals develop insight regarding their feelings, thoughts and behaviors, improve coping skills and relationships, promote personal growth and meaningfulness in life, or assist people in making life choices.

Therapy can also be beneficial to those experiencing normal reactions to life stressors, such as feelings of sadness about a loss of a relationship, or a loved one, or anxiety about starting a new career. Therapy may also address more longstanding family concerns.

The length of treatment varies based on a number of factors, such as severity, frequency, and duration of the issue or attainment of a specific goal. Length of therapy is collaboratively determined between the therapist and client and is based on progress and the client’s choice.