You Don't Have to Wait to be in Pain to Seek Counseling

By: Sara Markham 10/10/2011

When people are seeking counseling, sometimes they wait until they are in deep emotional pain to ask for outside help and this does not have to be the case. Because of fears attached to the idea of counseling, people may stay away from asking for help which can be enough time to put them in more pain, or cause them further isolation and withdrawal from others when they need the help the most. What they may not realize is that people seek out counseling for a variety of reasons from deep trauma, to life transitions, to needing more support. If people could allow themselves the opportunity to ask for support, they open themselves to solutions for their situations and the possibility of feeling better. Some people have a stigma attached to asking for support from a therapist that something may "be wrong with them" or a fear they "have a problem". They may be afraid of someone else knowing what's going on with them. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right person to talk to and someone you feel comfortable opening up to. People have a lot of control over the kind of therapist they see and it helps to have internet sites that gear clients towards  the therapists that treat the kind of issues they are facing. You can even email and consult therapists on the phone to see if they may be a good fit. Nonetheless, people don't have to suffer alone with their concerns as seeking out counseling has become very common and easily accessible for many. Working with the right therapist can help one clarify their goals, understand their issues, and lessens one burden. The end goal is to feel better from working with a therapist and with the right one, this will be the case. Sara Markham MFT