There’s a lot of people who truly believe in the work of a therapist or seeking counselling. If you’re wondering why counselling is important you’ve come to the right place.
Today I’ll discuss why counselling is important and whether or not counselling will help you. I’ll also discuss the following:
- I need therapy. Where do I start?
- Are counsellors in demand?
- Some important statistics around counsellors and therapy
Why is Counselling Important?
The most common misconception is that counselling will cure your problems. If you’re looking for a fix to your problems and you’re not willing to do the work then nothing will change.
It sounds pessimistic, but counselling is a lot of hard work and requires conscious effort. It’s not the therapist’s job to suddenly take away all your problems. The role of the therapist is to ultimately get you to a point where you realize where you fall short and what you can do to heal.
It’s through healing that we recognize which changes need to be made to continue healing and break free from the things that are holding us back. Counselling is used in the treatment of mental health conditions and can optimize wellbeing.
5 Benefits of Counselling
Counselling is used for guidance and psychotherapy. The focus is on wellness and improving the quality of life of the client. However, it involves collaboration between the counsellor and client.
Using the correct counselling techniques, individuals can experience a change in mood, behaviors, gain a better understanding of their own emotions and perspectives.
Counselling can help with the following:
- Improved mood
- Treatment of mental illness
- Reduction in medical costs
- Improved communication and relationships
- Promote self-esteem and resilience
Improved Mood
A review of 30 studies have been done to examine the effectiveness of counselling treatments. Researchers found that psychological treatment of depression was far more effective that pharmacological treatment or none at all.
Depression is of the most common mental health conditions in the world. It hinders quality of life, changes in appetite, increased problems with sleep and feelings of apathy or guilt. Depression can be effectively treated with counselling.
The studies done found that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was the most effective in both short- and long-term treatment of depression. This is why counselling is important.
Anxiety is one of the top 3 presenting problems that individuals experience before seeking therapy. 76% Of clients claimed that their condition had either “improved” or “significantly improved” following counselling.
While CBT is the most effective therapeutic tool for anxiety (as well), other methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, talk therapy and mindfulness has also shown to reduce feelings related to anxiety.
Reduced Medical Costs
Not surprisingly, there exist a direct link between mental and physical health. According to Positive Psychology:
“Often, when individuals treat underlying mental health conditions or receive counseling to help regulate emotions and improve mood, physical health improves as well.”
A study by Lorig et al. found that medical treatment costs decreased by $10 for every $1 spent on therapy / counselling.
Gain Skills and Get Educated
It’s not surprising that most people who enter therapy have little to no idea about the underlying causes, conditions or how certain techniques can benefit their presenting problems.
Understanding your condition can help normalize it, decrease stigma, and increase compliance with the selected treatment plan. It was found that psychoeducation reduced rehospitalization rates and the number of days hospitalized in those diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Some of the skills clients can learn while in therapy includes:
- Self-awareness
- Active listening
- Communication skills
- Mindfulness and behavior change skills
- Reframing faulty thought patterns
Promote Self-Esteem and Resilience
Counselling helps with the exploration of your emotions and may change the way you view yourself. This is done through CBT and changing cognitive distortions. Ultimately resulting in the reduction of negative self-talk.
According to the American Counselling Association, resilience is improved and maintained through:
- The regulation of emotions
- Decreasing maladaptive behavior patterns
- Improving ability to balance personal and professional lives
- Uncovering and changing maladaptive coping habits
- Using positive interpersonal skills including assertiveness, conflict negotiation and anger management
Treatment of Mental Illness
The aim of psychotherapy is to explore thoughts, feelings and behaviors and to improve the individual’s well-being. Certain conditions linked to mental health can be reduced or helped through psychotherapy. Some of these conditions include:
- The impact of trauma
- Mental health conditions including, but not limited to, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, OCD and PTSD
- Medical illness
- The loss of a loved one
I Need Therapy. Where Do I Start?
The first step to healing is admitting you need help. What you need to do first is make an appointment. It may be difficult in the beginning. You may need to “jump around” a little before you find a therapist that is right for you.
Building rapport and feeling like the therapist understands, conveys empathy and is actively listening to you is extremely important. This will not only remove barriers, but result in you being open and honest with them.
Remember, a therapist cannot help you if you’re not completely honest. There’s also no shame in not feeling comfortable with the first counsellor you meet. Counselling is too important for your healing journey to settle with someone you’re not comfortable with.
For South Africans
Counselling and therapy are quite expensive. I know, I’ve been there. However, there is something you can do. While I was a student, working multiple jobs I desperately needed therapy.
I was severely depressed and didn’t know what to do. Paying between R3000 and upwards per month to see a psychotherapist was not possible. So, a friend helped me out. Here’s what you can do:
- Speak to your GP and ask him or her to refer you to a psychologist at either Tygerberg Hospital or Stikland Hospital (Unfortunately, I don’t know any psychiatric hospitals in other provinces, but they all should work the same).
- Your GP will ask a couple of questions to make sure that it really is necessary for you to see a therapist. They will then make the referral.
You would have to wait a couple of months before someone (from the hospital) makes contact with you. Once you’ve gotten an appointment, make sure you show up each time.
There are drawbacks to this method, but the cost is a minimal. In my case, I experienced the following:
- Expect students to sit in. It happened about once, maybe twice. I was in therapy for about 3 to 4 years. They are there to learn from the best in the field.
- Sometimes you have to wait hours. They tell you to be there at 10am, but you may have to wait a few hours before being helped. This is more applicable if you’re seeing a psychiatrist, rather than the psychologist.
- The amount you have to pay is based on your monthly income. But usually this will be determined by your GP before making the referral.
Are Counsellors in Demand? And Other Statistics
There are about 280 000 therapists and psychologists currently practicing in the US alone. With a population of 334,233,854 (Census Bureau) it means there are about 1 194 people per one therapist.
It is estimated that 970 million individuals are struggling with some sort of mental health or substance use disorder globally. That is, 1 in 7 individuals are struggling with one or more mental or substance use disorders (Our World In Data, 2019).
A 2007 study suggests that there are about 1million psychologists in the world. Which suggests the ration to be 1:970 for individuals reported to suffering from mental health or substance use disorder.
Now, think about it like this: exclude psychologists or therapists that do not offer counselling as a service, this number (1 million) drops significantly. Add others who would love to enter into therapy, but cannot (due to either socioeconomic standing or not being able to get a booking) and the number of 970 million may increase significantly. The ration of therapist:client looks a whole lot different.
Therefore, the only conclusion is that psychotherapists, psychologists, therapists and the likes are in high demand.
Conclusion
Counselling is important for a myriad of reasons. There are so much that clients can learn about themselves during therapy. Clients (78%) who attended at least 16 sessions reported that it increased their understanding of themself.
Since counselling, 67% of clients reported that their day-to-day life has increased. While only 61% said their self-esteem had improved.
There are ways in which you can get affordable therapy, but they may come with some drawbacks. There is no shame in admitting to someone that you need therapy. You might just find some hidden gem of information on how to get affordable therapy from the unlikeliest of people / places.
If you or someone you know is struggling with something and need to talk to someone, you can make contact with me on edgildenhuys@gmail.com. The first consultation is free. Do not hesitate to make a booking.
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