How Can Life Counseling Services Help You?

Medically reviewed by Andrea Brant, LMHC
Updated March 15, 2023by BetterHelp Editorial Team

At some point or another, we may all come to a crossroads in life. These may be life situations that need counselling and we wonder about what the future may hold or what we should do to move forward. We may have crucial questions and concerns about the things happening around us and how we fit into all of them. Which path do we take? Life counseling services can help you wade through your own desires to set and achieve clear, streamlined goals. They can provide you with an objective perspective, streamline your goal-achieving process, enhance your accountability, and help you develop your problem-solving skills. It can be possible to connect with a mental health professional providing life counseling services in person or online.

Benefits Of Life Counseling Services

If you’ve encountered a situation in which you’re not sure how to proceed, life counseling can have many benefits.

Gain An Objective Perspective

Are You Stuck In A Rut?

Sometimes, we can get caught up in our own heads. We might start to question everything we do. Maybe you've started thinking about what you want to accomplish with your life. Perhaps you constantly worry about what you're going to do or whether you're going to succeed. These thought patterns can cause excessive stress.

To break this cycle of stressful, overwhelming thoughts, you may need to talk to someone who can be objective.

For some people, it can be enough to simply talk with a friend or a family member. You may be able to work out some of your concerns just by sitting down and taking a few minutes to chat. On the other hand, you may find that talking to someone close to you doesn't help much. In this case, speaking with a mental health professional can be beneficial. Professional counselors and therapists are often trained to help their clients alleviate stress, cultivate hope in difficult times, and provide the tools for peace and healing.

Streamline Your Goal-Achieving Process

You may have a long list of goals and objectives, but you may not know how to begin the process of achieving them. A life counselor will likely know the latest industry trends and vetted methods that can enable you to see outside the box. Then, you can formulate your overall plan and prioritize your goals. 

Many people get caught up in what they think they should be doing rather than what they actually want. That can cause a lot of stress, and it can contribute to feelings of unhappiness. When you take the time to separate what you want and what you don’t, you may have a better chance of achieving your goals and realizing true contentment in your life.

Enhance Your Accountability

When you set goals and objectives on your own, they may fall off your radar and be placed on the back burner. A life counselor can ensure you are accountable for taking steps toward your goals.  They can help you break down each of your objectives into smaller steps and overcome any potential hurdles that could derail your progress.

When you work with a life counselor, you may also be better equipped to accept problems that can inevitably arise over time. It may be unrealistic to reach all your goals without ever hitting a stumbling block. If you don't have a support system, it can be tempting to just give up. If you have someone to help you, though, it can be easier to push through the obstacle or find another way around so you can keep working toward your goals.

Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Do you have a problem that is holding you back? Are you afraid to speak your mind during a meeting or on a work site? Are you shy about starting your own business and reaching out to a community? Are you finding it challenging to have difficult conversations with a loved one, such as a partner, parent, or child? Do you struggle to find satisfaction and a sense of peace? A life counselor can help you look at problems like these from different angles and work with you to formulate plans to achieve personal and professional successes. 

If you are feeling stuck in a rut, experiencing a lack of motivation and accountability, or sensing a disruption of your inner peace, seeing a life coach can get you moving in the right direction. Plus, there’s a good chance you may see improvements you weren’t expecting. People who participate in life coaching studies have reported decreases in numerous mental health symptoms due to the intervention. 

Getting Professional Help

Often, many of the individuals who stand to benefit the most from life coaching tend to be the ones who feel hesitant to seek help via traditional methods. Perhaps they feel embarrassed that they haven’t experienced success in achieving their goals. Alternatively, symptoms of anxiety or depression could make it hard to go out in public or try something unfamiliar such as life counseling.

For these people, online life coaching may be a viable alternative. On online therapy platforms, a life coach may be just a click away. Once you’re signed up, you may connect with a professional from the comfort of your home and at a time that’s convenient for you. 

Research in the field suggests that this form of remote life coaching can be quite effective, too. In one recent study, college students reported an increase in self-esteem and belonging after receiving coaching services online and via text message.  

Are You Stuck In A Rut?

Takeaway

It can be common to encounter situations in life in which we’re unsure of how to move forward. The decisions we make in these moments can greatly impact our lives, and many of us can feel paralyzed and unable to make a choice. Often, life counseling services from a licensed mental health professional can help greatly in these situations. It can be possible to develop better problem-solving skills, enhance your accountability, streamline your goal-achieving process, and gain an objective perspective by working with a therapist. If you’re feeling stuck, please don’t hesitate to reach out and get the support and guidance you deserve. You may connect with a licensed professional in person or online.

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