Eight reasons to consider contacting a counselor

To Overcome Stress Factors

Stress is an element of everyday life for everyone. It’s inescapable. But an overabundance of stress can–and all too often does–interfere with our well-being. A good counselor can assist in identifying areas of life where the burden of stress might be alleviated and then provide tools to address those factors.

Imagine the weight of unnecessary strain lifted–the relief, the freedom. An improved sense of self and peace of mind often leads to opened doors and the perspective to recognize overlooked opportunities.

To Manage Anxiety

Hand in hand with stress comes anxiety. Together, they breed fear, and in no time at all it becomes too much. We get overwhelmed, fall into a numb funk, or seek out distractions to suppress the feelings we don’t want to face. These are natural reactions, however, they are not always the healthiest options.

We can be our own worst enemies and sometimes it takes an outside source to identify problems that we ourselves are blind to. Much the way we can oftentimes provide guidance to our friends and family in their times of trial but struggle to manage our own. A therapist can help identify and address the causes of anxiety with coping strategies, unbiased guidance, and assist in establishing healthier thought patterns.

According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety disorders are largely treatable, and the average case can be resolved with effective counseling.

To Foster Positive Behaviors, Thoughts, And Feelings—And To Reconcile Unhealthy Patterns

Negativity to any degree can interfere with our moods, relationships, daily routines, and sleep patterns. A therapist can help identify and reshape negative thoughts through cognitive restructuring. When a strong sense of self and situational awareness is developed, a person can identify, challenge, and modify negative thought patterns with greater ease. Less negativity makes for more positive experiences and consequently a finer quality of life.

To Treat Depression

Therapy is a tried-and-true means to identify the contributing factors of depression and then manage them in healthy ways. Like a good ship captain, a therapist can assist in coping with symptoms of stormy weather and safely guide a troubled vessel through turbulent waters.

Depression is among the most common mental health concerns in the world. It afflicts people of every race, religion, age, and orientation with no regard for occupations, agendas, or insurance premiums. We are all susceptible. On the bright side, Depression is highly treatable and there are passionate individuals ready and willing to give a helping hand. When someone is struggling, they need only reach out.

To build confidence

The phrase ‘Knowledge is power’ has withstood the test of time primarily because it is true. True in the time of its conception and perhaps more so in present times. Understanding ourselves informs our understanding of others and our abilities to empathize, interact, and communicate.

Improved capabilities build confidence in oneself and this is what therapists are trained to do. They work with individuals to assist in developing their full potential and dramatically improve a person’s sense of self. What power is greater than an unshakable sense of self?

To navigate the emotional vacuum of loss and grief

A loss of any kind affects us to some degree. A little irritability when we misplace our car keys or mild panic when our billfold elopes. Emotional pain when relationships fail can haunt us for a while, but nothing is as devastating as the loss of a person dear to us. Death is a traumatic life-altering experience for those of us left behind, the scope of which is unfathomable. Grief is deeply personal and affects individuals differently.

Counseling can ease the suffering as a processing outlet. Counselors will provide a light and a lifeline for navigating troubled times with a safe, confidential environment where the turmoil can be addressed and worked through.

To address relationship concerns and strengthen the ties that bind

Families are complicated.

It’s a universally understood and accepted concept. Less understood is the dysfunction that is common among groups of people who share living spaces across the globe. People we live with, surround ourselves with, are those that we lean on the most. Depend on the most. And they are also the ones we hurt the most–as we are in turn often hurt by them.

Communication with society is never easy and it’s a fair bit more difficult with those we care about, those that we are vulnerable to. We can walk away from strangers, let most relationships break, but family is a bond significantly more durable which is why familial dysfunction is overly common and exceptionally troublesome.

Counseling, through an impartial mediator, can open communication channels that have broken down, mend relation fractures, and ultimately strengthen the ties that bind for a happy, healthy family life.

To identify and deal with abnormal concerns (autism/ADHD/depression/anxiety etc.)

“Something just feels off. It has for a while and I’ve just dealt with it.”

Sound familiar? This is an extremely common sentiment across every field of health and medicine. The human body is a masterful creation that our greatest minds still do not completely understand, even with today’s cutting-edge technology.

The unique qualities inherent in each of us as individuals indicate we may never truly be completely understood and so we must do our best to know ourselves. Ironically we tend to ignore what our bodies are trying to tell us.

Is something bothering you? Are you experiencing untold symptoms? Is there a niggling suspicion in the back of your mind that something is off? Are you looking for resources? Answers? Just someone to talk to?

Victory Counseling is here. Reach out to us today and together we’ll find the answers.

“For by wise guidance, you will wage war and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”