Many people experience mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. However, some people hesitate to seek out professional help for these conditions because they are unsure what therapy involves or think that it might not help improve their illness. Unlike a broken bone that will heal after six weeks in a cast, mental health therapy may involve lengthy ongoing support and treatment for mental health conditions can look vastly different depending on the personal history and needs of the patient. Help from mental health specialists and centers such as the Spravato treatment facility might be a great option for those who have found that their other methods of treatment are not working or are not particularly effective. Here are three benefits of mental health counseling.
1. Objectivity
Both in-person and online mental health counseling professionals are trained to be objective and have no agenda other than to help their patients manage their condition and feel better. Parents dealing with behavior problems in their children or couples experiencing infidelity issues will bring their own emotions into any discussion of the issue, while a therapist provides a third-party perspective as someone who is looking at the issue from the outside.
Someone who wishes to see a mental health counselor on their own can also benefit greatly from the objectivity the counselor will provide. Unlike friends and family, a counselor will not tell you only what they think you want to hear or try to get you to behave in a way that benefits them. Instead, a therapist looks at your individual goals and treatment plan and provides advice and direction accordingly.
2. Exploration
People often get wrapped up in living day-to-day and lose touch with their greater aspirations and desires. A mental health counselor can help you get back in touch with these and explore ways that you can feel more calm and fulfilled. Therapists can guide you to achieve goals that you might be afraid to go after due to anxiety, depression or past trauma. For example, someone may be hesitant to seek out romantic relationships for fear of being hurt or rejected. A therapist can give that person ways to deal with hurt or rejection in the case that that does occur, so those fears are no longer holding that person back from pursuing meaningful connections with others.
3. Learning Healthy Coping Mechanisms
People experiencing issues such as severe anxiety and trauma often develop unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress, including using illegal drugs or engaging in excessive shopping or gambling. It can be very difficult to unlearn these coping mechanisms and replace them with something healthier, but a mental health counselor can help you do just that. They will help you explore options that work for you and your individual situation and discuss how to incorporate the new coping mechanisms into your life. Some positive coping strategies might include:
- Meditating and deep breathing
- Exercising
- Listening to music
- Connecting with old friends
- Journaling
- Acknowledging what you are grateful for
Therapists can give you tools to deal with difficult issues, which you can continue using even after you no longer see your therapist.
These are just three of the many benefits of beginning a mental health counseling journey.
