The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word “health” is an image of physical fitness and being disease-free. Yet a disease-free person is, not necessarily, always healthy.
This is because it isn’t just our physical body that makes us who we are. We are made up of the characteristics we were born with; the learned behaviours we grew up with; the thoughts, values, beliefs that we hold on to; the experiences that have shaped us; and, the relationships we associate ourselves with.
Holistic way of being Healthy
To be healthy, holistically, is to be attending to the health of our physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial and environmental dimensions.
Whenever we don’t experience contentment in any of the above dimensions, we don’t feel good about ourselves. We make attempts to attend to our needs using all available resources, to feel holistically healthy and thereby content.
Many times, we succeed in working hard and getting what we want. There are other times, though, when we can feel stuck, lost, unmotivated and unable to move past our struggles. This can create a sense of unworthiness, that can perpetuate a loss of belief in one’s capabilities.
Counselling and Therapy as a support
During the process of Counseling and Psychotherapy (Therapy in short), a trained Counsellor/Therapist, with an empathetic consideration of your experience, supports and guides you in resolving your conflicts; and move past them, to experience a sense of your worthiness. The focus in counselling is finding resolutions around situational challenges; whereas the focus of therapy is working with deep-rooted challenges.
The process of Counselling/Therapy offers a perspective of how one thinks, acts, and feels; the many ways it causes stuck-ness; and how one can choose changes and experience growth. This process benefits both; the person as an individual; and, the relationships one has with other dimensions of his/her life.
A Counsellor/Therapist can offer
Guidance on effective life skills
An avenue to vent out emotions
Support as you go through challenges/changes
Validation of your experiences/accomplishments
A confidential and non-judgemental space
A strong support system of family and friends might provide many of the above supports; yet, what makes the role of a Counsellor/Therapist different is that, they can offer confidential, unbiased, non-judgmental regard to your experiences.
Benefits of Counselling and Therapy at Personal level
At a personal level, through the process of Counselling/Therapy, one can
Learn to identify emotional triggers
Discover effective coping strategies
Reduce anxiety
Enhance self-esteem
Challenge self-limiting behaviours/habits
Effectively manage mental health conditions
Achieve a greater acceptance of self
Discover your purpose
Resolve underlying causes of addictive behaviours
Address post-traumatic stress
Benefits of Counselling and Therapy at Inter-Personal level
At the interpersonal level, through the process of Counselling/Therapy, one can
Get a fresh perspective of challenges
Identify challenges in communication
Improve communication skills
Effective expression of emotions
Improve conflict resolution skills
Improve social functioning
Set effective boundaries
Feel a greater sense of belonging
Much more than an approach to get over problems, Counselling/Therapy can help one to learn effective skills to be a better self; around one’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental dimensions.Seeking help and support is a sign of resourcefulness; and making yourself a priority. Reach out to a trained Counsellor/Therapist and experience counselling for a better you!!
Jennifer Moses is a member of the Counsellor/Therapist teamat InfinumGrowth’s new Online Counselling & Psychotherapy services.
Disclaimer : This blog originally appeared on www.infinumgrowth.com. InfinumGrowth is an online platform for personal growth and development and mental wellbeing services.
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