Counselling FAQ's
Q. What is counseling?
Answer: Counselling is a process where you can talk about your thoughts and feelings regarding any issues that concerns or troubles you in your life that you may wish to explore and understand clearly, in a professional and confidential setting, with a qualified and competent counselor, over a period of time. It is a collaborative process in which you understand your problems and deal it with efficiency, acquire awareness, find answers for yourself and live your life without disturbing your functionality.
Q. Do normal people need counseling?
Answer: It is a misconception to think that only seriously ill people need counseling help. Everybody needs counseling at some point of time in their lives. It is normal to need counseling when you need to solve any of your problems, concerns or when difficult feelings arise.
Most people have a problem at some stage in their lives with anxiety, depression, stress, relationships, negative automatic though processes, etc. Counseling can be the most life changing experience and begins with just a single step. By engaging in counseling or psychotherapy you are taking responsibility by accepting where you are in life and making a commitment to change the situation.
Q. What is the counselor’s role?
Answer:Counselors are normally non-medical personnel who work making you feel comfortable to talk about anything you wish you by creating a warm and accepting relationship. Based on what you share, the counsellor will attempt understanding your life and facilitate self exploration, insight and awareness, helping you reach your goals and find solutions.
Q. What is difference between a counselor, psychologist and psychiatrist?
Answer: Counselors and psychologists typically focus on the psychological, emotional and sociological aspects of helping a person grow. Psychiatrists typically focus on the biological aspects of a problem.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatry is the study of mental disorders, covering diagnosis, management and prevention. A psychiatrist must undergo full medical training as a doctor before choosing to specialise in psychiatry. Unlike many other mental health professionals, psychiatrists can assist in medical treatment and testing as they have the appropriate training.
Psychologist
Psychology is the study of the human mind and the way we think, act and behave. As well as looking at the way our minds work in day-to-day life, psychologists are also interested in mental health conditions. The title of psychologist can be given to someone who has completed a degree in psychology.
Counselor
A counselor will use psychotherapy to help clients develop understanding and insight into their behaviours/feelings, with the aim of overcoming difficulties. In some cases the simple act of talking through difficulties with a counselor can help the client, in other cases a more tailored therapy approach is required. This will depend on the nature of the concern and will be assessed by the counselor
Q. What are the benefits of counseling?
Answer: Talking with a supportive counselor who is neutral and objective while working with you helps in following ways:
To share your feelings and think things through.
“Learn more about themselves and others (Identifying one’s strengths)”
Develop new skills for dealing with life changes and challenges.
Feeling good, positive, energized and hopeful.
Personal, academic and career exploration.
It provides you with a safe, confidential and supportive place to explore the difficulties you are facing in your life. It can provide long lasting benefits, giving you the self-knowledge and tools you need to avoid triggers, to change patterns that aren’t helpful for you and to support you in whatever challenges you face.
Q. Will my counseling sessions be confidential?
Answer:Yes, counseling sessions are confidential. Your details remain only with the counselor and are not leaked out. The exception would be if you were to pose a danger to yourself or others, in which case the relevant parties would be notified.
Q. What happens in counseling?
Answer: Counseling is a continuous process where a counselor uses a psychological framework to facilitate insight and awareness to help you discover your own answers enabling us in learning about our habits and patterns of feeling and behavior and how they cause us problems and to be more effective in our relationships with others and with ourselves. This process takes anywhere between 4-20 sessions depending upon your needs. Each session lasts for 1 hour.
Q. How is counseling Different from Talking with a Supportive Friend?
Answer: The reason counseling is effective is because the counselor is a third person. This enables the counselor to be neutral, objective and non-judgemental of you.
Q. Is counseling right for me?
Answer: People attend counseling for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing issues such as anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes, work related stress, relationship breakup, job loss or work transition etc.
Many seek the support of counseling as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Counseling is beneficial for anyone interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness and working towards change in their lives.
Q. What will others think of me if I visit the counselor?
Answer: Visiting a counselor does not mean that you are incapable of handling your own problems or that you have a mental illness. Asking for counseling does not mean failure. Counseling is just a better way to make maximum use of yourself and your resources. So, one should not be ashamed in visiting a counselor.
Q. What are the myths associated with counseling?
Answer: There are several myths. The most popular ones are these:
Counselors provide advice and specific solutions to your problems.
Crazy or mad people go for counselling.
Old people with little or no qualification are better counselors than younger people with qualification.
Counselors use their opinion, intuition and beliefs to help clients.
Counseling is an art and not a science
