When should you seek counselling?
Joyce Breasure, past president of the American Counseling Association and a professional counselor who has been in private practice for more than 20 years, recommends counseling when you:
- Spend 5 out of 7 days feeling unhappy
- Regularly cannot sleep at night
- Are taking care of a parent or a child and the idea crosses your mind that you may want to hit that person
- Place an elder in a nursing home or in alternative care
- Have lost someone or something (such as a job)
- Have a chronic or acute medical illness
- Can no longer prioritize what is most important in your life
- Feel that you can no longer manage your stress
The American Counseling Association states that 'professional counselors offer help in addressing many situations that cause emotional stress, including, but not limited to:
- anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems and disorders
- family and relationship issues
- substance abuse and other addictions
- sexual abuse and domestic violence
- eating disorders
- career change and job stress
- social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness
- adopting to life transitions
- the death of a loved one'
The following questions can also be helpful in determining if you should seek counselling -
- Are you currently in a crisis situation?
- Are you currently feeling distress?
- Are you having trouble dealing with certain emotions or your current situation?
- Do you need help to find or access the right services to assist you?
- Do you want to participate in counselling?
If you are in any doubt about whether you should attending counselling you are welcome to Contact Us and speak to one of our counsellor's or altenatively you can contact your GP for further information.