Overcoming Ambivalence About Counseling
Deeply rooted in American culture is the desire to “go it alone” and overcome personal problems through determination and grit. While a worthy aspiration, at the extreme, self-reliance can ignore the realities of community and spiritual communion.
Depending on the situation, people in need of counseling may also feel shame and alienation from their friends and family. Even the suggestion of counseling may elicit reactions of how “therapy is for crazy people.”
Making slight of these feelings or dismissing them as invalid can be counter-productive to making a successful referral for therapy. They are quite normal. No one wants to admit they have anything less than perfect control over their lives.
And yet there are situations when each of us, alone, cannot be responsible for our own wellbeing. Just as physical sickness often requires medicine and civil conflicts can require legal mediation, personal and inter-personal problems may need the attention of professional and caring counselors.
- Excessive stress and worry
- Prolonged depression
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Dealing with physical or sexual assault
- Behavioral problems
Anyone suffering from these and other personal issues to a degree that significantly affects their quality of life should have the assurance that they can seek counseling with the same privacy and confidence that would be theirs in seeking medical treatment or the advice of an attorney.
Make a Referral to Family Life Center
At the Family Life Center, we have services geared for individual counseling and group counseling. All services are staffed with the highest level of professionals available. Masters level licensed social workers, licensed and certified counselors, certified addictions counselors, and dedicated support staff.