Counseling,
coaching, and psychotherapy all exist to bring about positive
change.
Whether that change is in yourself, your relationships, or
your circumstances,
the ultimate goal is to create a satisfying, enjoyable, richer,
and more meaningful life.
Make Sense of Your
Life
Sometimes people find that their feelings and choices don’t
make sense to them. For example, one person might not understand
why he becomes angry in certain situations, another might
not understand why she stays in a demoralizing job, another
might wonder why he procrastinates on important projects,
and another may question why she stays with a partner who
finds fault with her.
Counseling can help people discover the beliefs and expectations
they hold at an emotional level. These develop out of life
experiences, and have the power to influence or control your
feelings and actions. Sometimes people experience conflict
between what they think is sensible and what their feelings
tell them. Counseling can bring these beliefs and expectations
out into the open where they can be tested, challenged, and
understood. It can also help you learn to recognize your needs
and wishes, and to identify alternative means to satisfy them.
Counseling is a process that can help you to better understand
yourself, your motivations, and your reactions to others.
Make Healthier Choices
As self-understanding evolves, the emotional beliefs and
expectations that have affected a person start to lose some
of their power. Although they never go away completely, recognizing
when they become activated, and how they influence choices,
helps to minimize their control. This allows a person to see
things more clearly, put things in perspective, and make choices
that reflect self-value more easily. Counseling can help people
approach life with greater confidence and to take more responsibility
for bringing about their own happiness.
Enrich Your Relationships
Relationships, particularly intimate relationships, are the
stage for much of life’s greatest joy and contentment,
as well as for much of life’s pain and confusion. Working
on relationship issues often involves learning to understand
not only yourself but the other person as well. As you come
to appreciate the emotional needs of your partner, as well
as the framework they struggle within, you come to accept
and care for that person more fully and completely. One of
the wonderful things about pursuing counseling with a significant
other is that it acts as a catalyst for self-discovery. You
come to understand yourself more quickly and more deeply when
you are examining things in the context of a relationship.
Another positive outcome of couples counseling is that each
of you learns what your responsibilities are within a relationship.
You learn how to care for each other better, and ultimately
can find greater safety and love with your partner.
Find Joy in Your
Work
Sometimes people find themselves in a job or a work environment
that brings little joy, satisfaction, or sense of accomplishment.
Counseling and coaching can help you discover career paths
that fit with who you are. Through testing, exercises, and
discussion, you can develop a stronger sense of your talents,
skills, and interests. Once this has been accomplished, options
for your future can be generated. These might include pursuing
education, moving to a different field of work, or starting
your own business. Working with a counselor or coach can help
you establish your goals, outline the steps you need to take,
and provide you with encouragement along the way. You can
find joy, not only in the end result but in the process of
getting there.
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