What kind of situation is suitable for psychological counseling? I think behind this question, what I really want to confirm is: will counseling help my situation?
Interestingly, in asking this question, we have already shown that one of the elements that makes counseling work is self-care. So what kind of help can counseling bring to a person who shows he cares about himself? I have had several psychological counseling experiences in my life, two of which may serve as footnotes to this question.
My first consultation was when I was in college. At that time, I was quite unsure about the major I had chosen, and I was full of disappointment and powerlessness. These professional confusions later gradually expanded to other aspects of life, and also in daily life. Out of order. After a midterm exam, I was sure that I was done for that semester, and at the same time, I was also sure that I didn’t want to go on like this anymore. So, with graduation as my goal, I made an appointment for counseling a few days later.
During that consultation, the psychologist helped me realize the habits and limitations that hindered me, and once again evaluated the pros and cons of working hard to graduate, including: the effort I was willing to put in, the entertainment I had to sacrifice, and the results. Uncertainty. The psychologist led me to view graduation in a more clear and pragmatic way, and in the end, I was able to achieve my commitment to myself in a more decisive manner.
The other psychological consultation was after I graduated from graduate school. At that time, my life was still somewhat troubled, but specifically, there was no immediate problem that needed to be solved. The main purpose of the consultation was I want to have a more comprehensive understanding of myself, and I hope that this understanding can help me maintain a clearer consciousness at work. Of course, I also hope to make my life better.
Since there is no obvious goal to be implemented, during this period of consultation, each conversation will mostly start from this week's life, or continue the previous theme. I was initially worried about whether this would make the psychologist think I was rambling, but interestingly, this worry later became one of the topics of the meeting. During that process, through feedback from the psychologist, I gradually discovered some of my habits that were deeply rooted in my interactions but I was unaware of. And the more aware I am, the less controlled I am by habits and reactions, and I am able to respond in a more conscious way.
These two experiences, the former is a short-term consultation aimed at achieving goals; the other is a long-term consultation with a wide range of topics, or it can be said that it is consultation with growth as the ultimate goal, but no matter which one it is , all brought a lot of help to me at that time.
Therefore, when faced with the decision of "whether to seek counseling", it may come from an external call. For example, if you encounter a huge change in your life, you need emotional catharsis, support, and someone to accompany you through this process. It is a difficult road; or when you are facing a crossroads in life, you need someone to accompany you to discuss various pros and cons and clarify the conscious and unconscious implications of each choice.
At the same time, this decision-making situation may also come from an inner call, a curiosity about ourselves, hoping to understand ourselves further or deal with recurring issues in our lives. This type of counseling will use life as a clue, slowly peeling back the cocoons to explore our inner being, trying to find the core of who we are as a person. In the process, unresolved pain will inevitably hit our once-injured hearts at a tricky angle, but people always become stronger amidst these discomforts.
To be honest, it is difficult to have a standard answer to what kind of situation is suitable for consulting. After all, consulting has different approaches in long-term, medium-term and short-term goals. Perhaps those who are thinking about this should consider the cost of consultation, which includes practical matters, such as money and time, and emotional aspects, such as mental effort and spirit.Generally speaking, we can evaluate the urgency of the problem and the affordable cost to choose free, health insurance or self-paid consultation; and the effort and mental effort, or emotional turmoil, can be compared with the psychological state after entering the consultation. Teacher discussion.
However, if the following signs appear, it is recommended to seek psychological counseling as soon as possible:
1. You have some concerns about your feelings, and these feelings have become worse and worse in the past two weeks.
2. Trying to stop certain behaviors or feelings but always failing.
3. It seems that it is getting harder and harder to cope with the difficulties in life than before.
4. Difficulty focusing on important things in life, such as school, work, social interaction, etc.
5. Feeling pain, and even wishing to end one's life to eliminate the pain.
Another part, if we have sought help from the psychosomatic department, but we have more expectations for the improvement of symptoms, for example: we hope that there are other self-help methods besides drugs for various emotional and anxiety symptoms, and we hope that the treatment will be effective. It can last longer and hopefully prevent another recurrence. Studies over the years have shown that initial drug treatment plus additional psychological counseling can bring about such gains.
Generally speaking, if there are some huge or persistent troubles in life, there are some recurring habits, phenomena or patterns in life, and we hope to change, hope to further improve the current symptoms, or have inner problems, There is curiosity and expectation for exploration and growth. I believe that with this care for yourself and your willingness to invest, counseling will be a worthwhile and helpful option.
The original text is from Professor Rong Xinqi's Hypnosis Psychology Studio. If you need to reprint, please obtain permission and indicate the source. If you have any questions, you can click on the avatar to send a private message.
