Take Charge of Your Health with Individual Counseling
The pace and stress of modern life leaves many people feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed. It is so easy to find oneself sprinting from event to event without stopping for a water break. There is only so much time in the day to balance household, career, school and/or family commitments. Individual counseling often falls to the bottom of the list
Living a fast-paced lifestyle takes a toll on one’s health. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that when untreated, ongoing stress impacts our immune system, cardiovascular health and increases the risk for many other illnesses. Individual counseling can help.
It is important to be preventative to avoid developing or worsening an anxiety or depressive disorder, but most people avoid getting help, telling themselves things like,
“So many people have it worse than I do, what do I have to complain about?” , or
“Everything is going to be calmer soon, then I’ll make that phone call.”
Whether an individual is struggling with a relationship ending, a difficult decision, panic attacks, anxiety or depression, it is very difficult to make a commitment to pick up the phone and prioritize one’s own health. Many people believe they should be able to overcome their problems without help. In reality, humans are social beings who need one another and isolation makes the pain worse.
How Does Individual Counseling Work?
Opening up to a therapist can give an individual the courage to approach co-workers, initiate plans with friends, or join other kinds of communities that have previously only been observed from the periphery. As a person’s social connections expand, feelings of loneliness and isolation will decrease, making it easier to recover from depression, anxiety, grief and other conditions. A therapist works with the individual to create strategies for his or her unique situation. Also, individual counseling can help with decisions about medication or other supplementary treatments. Often, just taking the first step of scheduling an appointment with a therapist can help a person feel that better days are within reach.
Why should I share my feelings with a stranger? My friends and family know me better.
Friends and relatives are invaluable resources. They are the ones who know us the best, love us enough to be honest and supportive and are a great starting off point for someone who is having a bad day or week. When the problem persists, however it might be worth considering individual counseling. A friend or family member is not trained to distinguish the difference between stress, anxiety, depression and other serious conditions. Individual counseling starts with an assessment to understand the nature of the problem and develop a treatment plan. A therapist is highly trained to be open, non-judgmental and to prioritize the client’s personal goals.
Individual counseling is a process in which the clinician and the client work together as a team to help the patient recover and build tools to ensure a lasting remission from symptoms. Also, a therapist has devoted his or her life to learning about relationships and mental illness. You can expect to be provided with insight and education about the particular issue you are coming in to address.
“I’m not going to pay someone to sit and listen to me whine for an hour!”
Most movies portray a therapist sitting silently nodding his or her head while the client talks endlessly. There are many different approaches to psychotherapy. Main Line Counseling Partners use a structured, problem-solving approach. It is important for all of us to have a place to share our story and feel understood and supported, but if the conversation starts and ends as a venting session, the process can be frustrating. We provide a balance of skills-training, empathic listening, insight-sharing, problem-solving and decision-making. There are different approaches for each presenting problem, so it is important to talk directly with your clinician about your particular concern.
Individual counseling is about change and acceptance.
Everyone is an active participant in building the world in which he or she lives. Individual therapy consists of side-by-side support in making the changes that the individual wants to make, as well as working together to make peace with aspects of the individual’s situation that cannot be controlled. This approach is tailored to the specific nature of the challenge, including issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, panic attacks and relationship difficulties. Individual counseling is a place where people get relief from pain while also making changes to feel happier and healthier.
Main Line Counseling Partners can help.
All of our therapists have over ten years of experience with individual counseling and are trained in a variety of approaches to best fit the needs of the patient. We can also refer you to a psychiatrist if you would like to discuss medication options.
Click Here to Schedule a Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation
If you’d like to get more information first, please visit our pages on anxiety treatment and depression treatment.
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