INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

At some juncture of our lives, all of us suffer stages of stress, sorrow, and  discord.

If we have a strong support system in the form of family or friends, counselling is not necessary for every small problem we may come across in our daily life. Nor does one have to be “crazy” desperate or on the verge of a breakdown to seek the help of a counselor. Knowing when to seek the assistance of a counselor may not come as a natural instinct to most people. Days when you feel really low, the need to speak to someone as soon as possible, is more within us. Perhaps, on the days you feel better and happy, the same thought of wanting to speak to someone, goes away. But main cause that made you feel low is still there and will make us feel worse a few days later. It can be hard to accept, ‘the need for help’. At times the signs are visible, other times we may feel a little off but, can’t understand why. So we push ourselves into a busy life to avoid thinking about it, until life becomes unmanageable. Before it reaches that point, if you or your family members are showing any of these symptoms, engaging the services of a counselor would be helpful.

Symptoms:

• Unsure and Uncontrollable feeling of sadness, anger or hopelessness: If you or a family member is sleeping or even eating more or less than before or withdrawing from friends or family. Feeling hopeless, irritable or helpless and consumed with excessive crying. Children showing difficulty on how to deal emotions such as anger or anxiety at home or at school.
• Difficulty in getting along with your Family members: Facing trouble, expressing your emotions to your spouse, child or others around you. Showing feelings of anxiety, shyness or awkwardness in meeting new people.
• Disconnecting from activities that was enjoyed previously: Feeling that there is no purpose or point in going for family or friends gatherings that was previously enjoyed.  Or feeling a sense of unhappiness during these functions.
• Feeling inadequate: If you or your family member on a regular basis shows lack of motivation or interest to get out of bed and carry on routine activities.
• Engaging Substance abuse: When you turn for outside help such as alcohol, drugs or food to feel better-it’s a sign that you are hoping to numb your feelings to feel better rather than addressing the issue.
• Experienced a traumatic incident: like death in the family, divorce or loss of job. Grief from a loss can affect our day to day functioning and cause you to withdraw from everyone and everything. If you notice or feel you aren’t engaging in your life or that of your loved ones and that in its own time these negative emotions will go away, it isn’t the case always.
• Experiencing a wide range of health issues such as recurrent headaches, stomach-aches or neck pain: these can be the symptoms of being emotionally upset as well as stressed or emotionally distressed.
• Concerns of Friends: When friends  notice changes in your behavior and attitude, these are signs that something is wrong.

We are all constantly changing and growing as individuals. Our outward appearance may show us as happy and stable, but, in reality we may have hit a road block. Over a period of time we may have developed our own strategy or ways to handle these problems and to make changes in our lives. But the world around us is so fast paced and hectic, that we fail to make the necessary change as we do not have the time,  unaware of the change we specifically need to make and most importantly do not know of an effective method for our own growth and betterment. With the help of Individual Counseling, we can decide on what needs to be changed, set personal goals, and benefit from a better understanding of our strength and weakness.

The common areas of concerns that can be helped via Online/Phone/F2F are:

Depression and Sadness: Grief & Loss, Life Transitions, Job Loss, Death of Loved One, Health Problems (Without any Medical Conditions).

Anxiety & Stress: Fears or phobias, Excessive Fears, General Worry, Specific Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Personal Growth: Goal Setting, Work-Life Balance, Self Esteem, Organizational Skills, Problem Solving, Adjustment Difficulties, Social Challenges, Life Decisions, Career or Family Challenges, Parenting Support.

Relationship Issues: Relationship Conflicts & Difficulties, Assertiveness, Healthy Boundaries, Developing Trust, Communication Skills.

Emotion Management: Identification and Labeling of Emotions, Anger Issues, Stress Management, Coping Skills, Low self-esteem/self-confidence.

Counseling embraces the proverb “Prevention is Better than Cure”. Individual counseling focuses on the individual’s needs and concerns, uses different approaches towards solving each one of them, as no two people are the same. It focuses on providing help to the individual’s immediate or near future problems before the problem gets heightened and controls his/her behavior. Recent times counseling has become a part of corporate culture, as more and more people are recognising the benefits of counseling. Many large corporations and companies are integrating counseling into their workforce welfare programs. Unlike in the earlier days, counseling is undertaken even if there is no problem that needs an immediate solution. It can also be sought by people who do not have what we all would refer to as “big” problems.

Benefits that can be achieved from Individual Counseling:

• Guarantees confidentiality, flexibility and improved Communication:Most essential element in counseling is Confidentiality. In one-on-one counseling sessions, any information shared by the individual will remain between the two of them. Counselors use different approaches during the session, as there is only one client, a tailor made approach that is most suitable for the client is made and discussing with a neutral person outside your situation can give you a new perspective that will help you improve your relationships and your ability to communicate and find a way forward.
• Increases self-awareness and deeper insight of oneself as well as others:This Self awareness leads to better understanding, self-acceptance and appreciation of our strengths and make changes wherever necessary for the better. The counselor helps you to process difficult thoughts and feelings which gives you a clearer sense of what you want and need – Along with self awareness you become more aware and get better understanding–as to what motivates people, what’s important to them; and why people do what they do. Thus, building and maintaining stronger relationships.
• Better decision making: Our values and beliefs which were thought to be permanent and set, after counseling our mind becomes more flexible, open, adaptable and adjustable to change. The individual becomes open to the idea of changing his/her way of thinking, behaving as well as feeling. He becomes empowered to set goals as well as the strategies and ideas to accomplish them.
• Helps to sort out our problems and make us healthier:  Attending a Counseling session is not a solution in itself. Rather it involves providing advice as a form of guidance to find a solution to our problems and make decisions based on these guidelines.After counseling sessions our stress and anxiety levels are reduced and hence we feel happier, more peaceful and healthier.
• Promote goodwill among family and friends:It helps us to realize our wrong doings and make amends, or forgive others for the wrongs done to us, as you become more aware and get better understanding–as to what motivates people around us, what’s important to them; and why people do what they do.