Who needs counseling?

Just about anyone can benefit from counseling. Counseling is often viewed as only beneficial for people struggling with a severe mental health issue or in crisis. This is far from the case; many people can benefit from counseling, even if they are not experiencing a traditional mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, or addiction.

Many people seek counseling because they are unsatisfied with their lives. These counseling clients do not necessarily fall under a traditional clinical label, like bipolar disorder. However, this does not mean that they are not struggling. The struggle may be more of an existential nature rather than an emotional one. Such people benefit from exploring this issue at length and discussing ways to process it with a professional counselor.

Grief is another area where people often need counseling. That being said, grief often comes in many different forms. Most people assume that grief counseling is for people who have lost a loved one, maybe even a dear pet.

Still, there are other areas of one’s life where the grieving process takes place beside the death of a loved one. Many clients find that they need to go through the grieving process when going through a divorce. The end of a marriage is a very painful process, and many people find counseling beneficial when going through this transition.   

Losing a job or being forced to retire can also trigger the grieving process. Many people spend their lives building a career. Please think of how much the average person spends their day at work. We pour a lot of time and effort into our jobs. When one loses that, they can sometimes lose an important part of their identity. People will sometimes need to grieve the loss of their old career identity before moving on to establish a new one. In the case of retirement, someone is transitioning into a new stage of their life and may need help in grieving the loss of their career, especially if they have invested in it for a long time. 

So many people who may not have a traditional mental illness could benefit from counseling. If you are unsure whether you need counseling, consult with a counselor. Many professional mental health therapists offer a short free consultation.