COUNSELING:- IS IT FOR ME?
Am
sure you will hardly have come across a person who has never heard the saying,
“Do not climb the stairs of a Doctor, Police or Court!” Oddly, just as you pass
your ethics, religious belief systems, ideologies from generations to
generations, this saying has somehow instilled an unknown fear within us all.
We want to keep the Doctor at
bay, but forget OR find it difficult to follow a healthy lifestyle. We want to be a good law abiding citizen,
however, we do end up paying fines… or fall victim to others wrong doings!!
All
in all, in the effort to avoid a Doctor, a Police Official or a Lawyer, as the
saying goes… we end up coming in contact with them. However, the medium
obviously is in such a way that the saying, gets reinforced in our nervous
system… Brain!!
We
can surely interpret that “MYTHS” are the main culprits that stop us from using
any medium to our benefit. The heading that I have chosen too falls under the
one of the many famous categories of MYTHS.
Counseling:- Is it for ME?
Well,
the very first query that should arise must be, “Why counseling cannot be beneficial for all?”
However,
as the MYTH goes, the word ‘Counseling’ automatically is associated with the
word, “Insane/Mad/Depression”. And thus the next thought is, “I am NOT
insane/mad/in depression!! So I do not need Counseling.” True, the work in the
area of counseling started by trying to understand what caused such extreme
conditions in us… Human Beings!! A lot of research was conducted, is still being
done to understand and stop and prevent the stage of downfall.
With
our fast-paced lives, our career orientedness, being surrounded with gadgets
for anything and everything… we have bargained our place, patience for anxiety,
frustrations, upsets, anger. The small culprits who later in the long run lead
you to the path of self-destruction. You may attach the word “mood swings” to
your food habits, or to the sudden outbursts of anger or feel like crying or
want to sleep, spend that extra hour in bed. Depression wouldn’t mean
immediately getting thoughts of suicide!!
Nevertheless,
it is a stage where the person himself/herself is hardly aware that he/she is
falling or has fallen in deep pit of self-engulfing destruction! In short, like
the saying, “A stitch in time, save nine”, the very first sign of discomfort
that you are not able to address by yourself needs to be checked. Try taking
support from your immediate environment….. family, friends, relatives,
colleagues, teachers, your seniors in office.
And,
still if you feel that your discomfort continues, make sure you visit a
Counselor/Therapist. Understand the fact that you need NOT be a LABELLED ‘Mad
Person’, ‘Suicidal tendency person’, ‘in Depression’ to meet a Counselor/Therapist.
You can meet a Counselor/Therapist to just empty your brain, heart, thoughts…
feel light, fresh and start again happily. A Counselor is nothing but a Third
Party Unbiased Person who is allowing you to be yourself… listening to you, at
the same time not judging you, belittling or ridiculing you. Unless, you are
willing to work on self, ask for support for what you want, the Counselor is
not going to force you!!
One
will feel the difference after speaking with the Counselor for an hour. However,
the actual work starts when you are ready to transition the change in real life
also. Therapist/Counselor hears you out, helps you recognize your thoughts and
emotions and together with the Therapist/Counselor, you can generate apt
solutions for your problems. IT IS NOT THE JOB OF COUNSELOR/THERAPIST TO GIVE
YOU ADVICE. It is a Symbiosis process of GIVE & TAKE.
Lastly,
COUNSELING IS NOT MAGIC. You will feel relief, lightweight after you had a talk
with Counselor/Therapist, however a significant reduction in the problem will
take sometime… that too with your active participation in the therapy!
Nonetheless,
the fact remains for you to get relief, support, you need to reveal everything
to the Counselor/Therapist. Moreover, yes, it is NOT mandatory that you reveal
all in the first meeting itself. Trust and comfort zone is the base for any
relationship. Counseling/Therapy is to help you let loose of all that has piled
within you.
I can
surely now count that instead of getting bogged down by any labels that the
society might want to put on you… you will visit an Orthopedic Doctor for your
bones, an Advocate to know about your legal rights, Police to help you
implement you rights or prevent from being victimized.
Similarly,
you will visit a Counselor even if you only wish to talk and talk… rearrange
your thoughts/priorities… work out on personal goals… get rid of negative
haunting thoughts… deal with age-related issues… work on your relationships
with other and most importantly with SELF!!
"LET'S LIVE, LAUGH N LOVE"
Feel
free to connect with me through:
piyaangel.k@gmail.com
Counselor
Poonam Khairnar on Facebook
Poonam
Khairnar
Counselor
09004874093
