Mental Health Counseling Can Make A Difference In Your Life

By BetterHelp Editorial Team|Updated July 29, 2022

Medically Reviewed By Lauren Guilbeault, LMHC

Struggling with mental health issues is something that has the potential to harm your everyday life. Even when you try hard to keep things as normal as possible, it can be difficult to get through mental health issues on your own. When you do not have anyone to talk to about what is going on in your life, it may get to the point where you have increased problems. If things start to get too severe, then your mental health issues may start impacting the way that you live your life.

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Millions of people suffer from mental health issues. Sometimes people avoid seeing a mental health counselor due to feeling embarrassed about the things that they are going through. It is perfectly normal to feel this way, but it is important to try to find the courage to reach out for help. Getting clinical mental health counseling does have the potential to make a difference in your life.

Take a look at some of the ways that counseling and mental health therapy can help you below. It should give you a better overall understanding of why it is a good idea. You will also be able to feel more prepared when going to see a mental health counselor. Sometimes just knowing what to expect can make you feel more at ease, so this information should prove invaluable to you if you are going through a difficult period in your life.

Mental Health Counseling Allows You To Work Through Problems

Clinical mental health counseling is going to allow you to work through your problems over time. If you continue to go to counseling sessions, then you will be able to address the causes of your anxiety problems, depression issues, or other mental health struggles. There are many different forms of mental illness, and there are also a large number of different reasons why people have these struggles. A good mental health counselor will be ready to address your issues with you and will work through them with you in the therapy sessions.

Online counseling has the potential to benefit you in this way. For instance, there may be certain things that trigger depression in an individual. Understanding what makes depression worse for you may allow you to mitigate some of your symptoms. You may be able to avoid letting depression get too bad if you reach a certain understanding of your symptoms and triggers through counseling.

It can also just feel good to discuss the issues and feelings that you are having. The thoughts in your head may feel sad, scary, or even dangerous. Being able to address these issues with a professional in a safe environment is ideal. You will have someone there who cares about you and wants to ensure your well-being. Making use of these professionals will make it so that your problems can be addressed and discovering solutions to the issues will be possible over time.

Knowing that you have a licensed professional counselor looking after you will give you the strength to deal with these issues. It may not always be easy to move forward by yourself, but a licensed mental health counselor can give you a shoulder to lean on. Working through these problems together will not be an overnight success, but it is certainly going to make a difference in your life. If you can commit to the process, then you will see your life change for the better.

Having Someone To Talk To Really Helps

One of the most difficult things about struggling with your mental health is feeling as if no one can understand what you are going through. While it is true that everyone has a unique struggle, it is also true that there are millions of people going through these problems as well. Mental health counselors know how difficult it is to be burdened with mental health issues. Many of these counselors have been successfully treating issues like this for a long time, and they can talk to you about your problems whenever you need to.

If you use counseling to its full potential, then you will always have someone to talk to when you are having a bad day. Your normal habits might involve shutting yourself off from the world when things are going bad for you mentally. This often exacerbates the issue and causes your periods of depression or anxiety attacks to lengthen. If you can reach out to a counselor instead, then you may be able to turn things around by talking things out.

Speaking with a mental health counselor about how you are feeling and your thoughts will allow you to feel better. The counselor can act as your lifeline when you feel like you are adrift at sea. No one should have to suffer alone and simply having a caring individual on the other end of the line is going to help quite a bit. When you know that you have allies in the fight against anxiety and depression, you will be able to face your issues with an increased sense of confidence.

Mental Health Counselors Can Offer Great Advice

Get An Overall Understanding How Counseling Can Help You Improve

Speak With A Licensed Therapist Who Can Help

It should also be said that mental health counselors can offer great advice. These professionals know what it is like to struggle with issues such as severe depression and anxiety. Problems like this can be debilitating, and they can change the way that you feel about the world around you. Sometimes mental health problems can become so bad that you will feel as if your life is completely flipped upside down.

Getting some good advice from these counselors will allow you to start turning things around bit by bit. Over time, you will be able to make progress in your life. Some of this advice is going to be practical, but the counselors also have some techniques to help you calm your mind when you are having a bad day. Making use of the expertise of these counselors can help you to get back to living your life in a more normal fashion.

Even if you have reached the point where your mental health condition has made it tough to get through a normal day, you can start to make improvements. If you use the right techniques and try to apply what you learn during counseling and therapy sessions, then you will see changes. It can take time to get to this point, but the great advice of your counselors will shine through. Simply having these professionals to rely on is going to be a game changer when you're suffering from depression or anxiety issues, so consider the benefits of reaching out.

Mental Health Counseling Comes In Many Forms

Counseling today comes in many forms. This is because we are all unique individuals who require a unique treatment plan to successfully tackle or cope with our mental health and emotional challenges. For example, while some clients may seek an individual mental health counselor to discuss their relationship problems, other clients may try couples counseling instead. Below are a few of the many forms that clinical mental health counseling comes in.

Individual counseling: Individual counseling is for clients who want a one-on-one relationship with their licensed mental health counselor. This is probably the most popular form of outpatient mental health care, as it allows the client to disclose their mental health concerns in privacy. Some concerns that individual counseling works to address are mental illness, major transitions and changes, and issues preventing personal development.

Couples and family counseling: Couples counseling and family counseling focus on helping couples and families through their issues. These are concerns that affect the entire unit and usually involve some interpersonal conflict. Some challenges a couple or family may seek professional help for are conflict with family members, communication challenges, grief, a major transition, or working through changes in values or lifestyle. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you believe you need couples or family counseling, as this is a very popular form of professional help to seek. According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics, marriage and family mental health counselors held 73,200 jobs in 2020, a number that is rapidly increasing due to a great demand for their services.

Niche counseling: Niche counseling services aim to serve people dealing with specific concerns or specific populations. They provide these populations with professional help but have a better understanding of the specific challenges, problems, and backgrounds of the clients they serve than someone with a more general counseling background may have. One example of a niche service is addiction counseling. Addiction counselors work to help their clients overcome their addiction and work through the challenges that fueled their addiction in the first place. Other examples of niche counseling services include services that help military veterans with trauma, college students with stress, and members of the LGBTQ community with coming out and coping with the challenges of their identity.

Support groups: Support groups are another way that clients can receive professional help for a specific concern. Group sessions are often more affordable than individual counseling and have the added social support of the other members. They are run by certified counselors but the members do most of the talking and discussion. A classic example of a good support group is Alcoholics Anonymous but other organizations that have support groups include the National Alliance On Mental Health (NAMI) and the Anxiety and Depression Association Of America.

Social work: While mental health counselors typically focus on a few specific concerns, licensed social workers from social service agencies provide a wide range of services to support their clients. They do this through providing counseling as well as referring their clients to other resources that can best help their specific situation. Social workers may work with specific populations that need assistance and may help out in crises.

Inpatient mental health services: Inpatient services refer to clinical mental health services where the clients need to stay overnight or for a period of time to be treated for their mental health condition. These services allow counselors to monitor clients that have more concerning challenges or behaviors that could harm themselves or others. These services are most commonly used to treat addiction and for crisis intervention.

Mental Health Counseling Can Be Both Affordable And Accessible

Counseling also has the potential to be both affordable and accessible. If you are worried about reaching out to a mental health counselor due to money concerns, then you should know that there are options that will fit into most people's budgets. You do not even have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy the benefits of clinical mental health counseling. If you decide to seek out online mental health counseling, then you will be able to start making improvements in your life.

Signing up for counseling at https://www.betterhelp.com/online-therapy/ is going to be very easy. You can gain access to counseling whenever it is convenient for you. This means that if you are having a particularly difficult day, then it will be possible to speak to someone to get help. You can get the counseling that you need to get your life on track, and it can be on your terms.

People have been able to use this counseling to help alleviate their mental health issues effectively. When people have counseling so readily available as an option, it allows them to feel at ease. Even difficult days and truly tumultuous mental health struggles can be dealt with properly. These problems are not easy to deal with, but it will be much better when you have compassionate professionals on your side.

Consider signing up with BetterHelp today if you need counseling. Just talking things out with one of these counselors can help you to feel as if you have removed a weight from your chest. Do not continue to suffer alone when you do not have to. Help is available, and it will be as convenient as it can be for any situation.

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Whatever type of counseling is going to be best for you is what you should sign up for. Online counseling is often the best bet for people as it is the most readily available and the most convenient option. Regardless, you should consider reaching out to get the help that you need. Your mental health issues will be so much easier to deal with when you are not facing things down all alone.

Skilled and caring mental health counselors are waiting for you to make contact. As long as you want to get help, they will be ready to assist you as soon as you have the time. If these mental health problems have soured your life for quite some time, then this is your chance to start changing things. Make contact with a mental health counselor today if you want to make a difference in your life. Issues such as depression and anxiety can be dealt with properly, and you will feel in control of your life once more.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the purpose of mental health counseling?

The purpose of mental health counseling is to help clients with whatever emotional issues, challenges, or mental health concerns that the client may be dealing with. To do this, mental health counselors work to help clients establish goals, develop coping and management skills, improve self-esteem and self-worth, and promote positive changes in thinking and behavior that will lead to improved mental well-being. According to the American Counseling Association, mental health counseling is most likely to achieve its purpose if both the counselor and client collaborate to work towards their specific counseling goals.

What types of mental health problems does a counselor treat?

Mental health counselors treat a variety of mental health challenges and other situations that can affect a client’s mental health. These mental health professionals assist clients with any mental health concern they have (whether that be a mental illness or a major life challenge) by discussing it through talk therapy and finding treatment options to cope with or treat the problem.

Some of the most common mental illnesses that mental health counselors treat include:

Depression
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Eating disorders
Paranoia
Schizophrenia
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Substance abuse**

**If you are struggling with substance abuse concerns, then please contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800)662-4357.

In addition to the above mental health concerns, mental health counselors may also help with the following life challenges:

Divorce
Death of a loved one
Job loss
Major transition
Abuse and trauma**

**If you are experiencing domestic abuse, then please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for help and support.

While some mental health counselors help treat a wide range of emotional problems and behavioral problems, others have specialties. For example, mental health professionals who specialize in treating substance abuse and addiction matters are called addiction counselors. Other mental health professionals include social workers, family therapists and counselors, school counselors, and rehabilitation counselors. So no matter what challenge you are facing, a mental health counselor will be able to help.

How do I become a counselor without a degree?

The education requirements to become a counselor vary depending on the type of counselor you want to be. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, most counseling and therapy roles require at least a master’s degree to practice. Some jobs, such as clinical psychologists or psychiatrists, require a doctorate or medical degree.

Once these degrees are obtained, there are other licensing requirements that counselors must adhere to before starting a counseling practice. Most counselors must pass an exam (such as the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam created by the National Board Of Certified Counselors) to obtain their counseling license.

All of this education and training are important as working with mental health is an essential social service that should only be done by licensed professional counselors who know how to handle such delicate and important concerns.

Some roles, such as substance abuse counselors or behavioral disorder counselors, may not require a master’s or higher degree but still require some education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, these types of counseling services still require at least a Bachelor’s degree to start their career.

There are a few roles in counseling that do not have such strict educational requirements. These roles include peer support counselors, career counselors, and community outreach workers. But if you want to become a mental health counselor or therapist, you will need at least a master’s degree to start your career.

What is the best treatment for mental illness?

There is no one best treatment plan for mental illness. The best treatment options will depend on the specific mental health challenges that a particular client is experiencing as well as the clients themselves. For example, two clients experiencing depression may find two different treatment options that work for them. One may respond well to mental health counseling and talk therapy while another may respond better to medication. Because of all the variables and factors involved, most clients try multiple treatment plans and counseling services before finding something that works for them.

What are the five major goals of counseling?

The five major goals of counseling are facilitating behavior changes, improving the client’s ability to establish and maintain personal relationships, enhancing the client’s ability to cope, promoting the decision-making process, and development.

Facilitate Behavior Changes: Mental health counselors work to facilitate behavior changes by encouraging their clients to adopt healthy behaviors that will help them reach their goals, cope with challenges, and help them be more productive overall.

Improve Ability To Develop/Maintain Personal Relationships: Mental health counselors help work through any challenges that are affecting their clients’ relationships (or preventing them from developing any relationships) such as low self-esteem, mental illness, communication problems (such as needing good listening skills), unhealthy or aggressive behavior, or related personal problems.

Enhance The Client’s Ability To Cope: Some clients seek counseling services to find ways of dealing with their life challenges. Mental health counselors help their clients work through the emotional concerns these challenges bring up as well as arm them with coping strategies that improve their resilience and stress management.

Promote The Decision-Making Process: Some clients struggle to make major life decisions and look to counseling for help. While mental health counselors rarely directly give advice, they do help the client to improve their decision-making abilities.

Development: Mental health counselors work to overcome their challenges and develop better coping strategies so they are more equipped to work through future challenges. They encourage their clients to be mindful of their thinking and behaviors so they can choose better thoughts and actions that will lead to more positive results and promote better overall wellness.