What is Mental Health Counseling?

Mental health counseling, otherwise known as psychotherapy, is a collaborative or shared effort between the counselor and the individual, family or couple.  Mental Health Counselors require many years of specialized training and skill, and should hold a Professional License to practice in Georgia.

Link: How Do I Find the Right Counselor?

Professional counselors help consumers:

The counseling process allows you examine the behaviors, thoughts and feelings that are causing difficulties in your life. You learn effective ways to deal with your problems by building upon your personal strengths. A professional counselor will encourage your personal growth and development in ways that foster your interests, personal goals and welfare.

Counseling (like physical therapy) is a therapeutic, healing process, and is often not complete in just one or two sessions.  However, counseling does not have to take months or years to complete. Each person is different, therefore the counseling process is unique to your issues, and differs depending on your commitment to the therapeutic process, and your efforts in and out of the counseling session.  Many times it is most helpful to “open up” with someone who is professional, confidential and objective.

It is important to know that sometimes, after beginning counseling, you may feel worse before you begin to feel better.  This can happen when you allow yourself to explore and feel those issues that have been causing you problems and can be a normal part of the counseling process.  With continued work in counseling, you can begin to address those issues, and learn to manage emotions, stresses and behaviors in healthy ways.  This is a very empowering and rewarding result of counseling.