Have you ever needed someone to talk to who would listen to you without judgment? A person who will give you honest feedback and advice and keep everything you say confidential? You are not alone.
According to the National Association on Mental Illness, over 50 million people experience a mental illness each year. Of that number, 44.8% go to treatment.
Millions of people are learning that individual counseling has benefits.
Individual Counseling Defined
Individual counseling is not something that happens to you. It is not an event. It is a process between you and a licensed mental health professional. Working one-on-one, you work together to overcome the challenges you face using evidence-based methods.
Personal Issues Improved Through Individual Counseling
Individual counselors are trained to provide therapy for a wide range of topics. Typical issues discussed include:
Relationship problems
Career challenges
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
Parenting advice
Anger, stress, and other negative emotions
Alcohol or drug misuse and other addictions
Spirituality
Identity questions
Grief and loss
Eating disorders
Education concerns
Sleep disturbances
Some individual counselors have extended training and certification in a particular area. For example, if you need a counselor who can help you cope with your spouse abusing alcohol, search for an individual therapist who is licensed or certified in both substance abuse and mental health.
More on Individual Therapists
Individual therapists have at least a master’s degree from an accredited university. In addition, they have extensive training through practicums and work in the field. Various types of individual therapists range from general to specific professionals.
Examples of therapist titles include licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, drug and alcohol therapists, clinical therapists, pastoral therapists, and child therapists.
How Long Does Individual Counseling Last
Most individual counseling sessions occur weekly for fifty minutes. In the beginning, you may decide to meet twice a week. The number of weeks you meet with a counselor will depend on how well you progress in treatment.
Some attend for six weeks, some six months, and some for more than a year. Sessions may move from weekly to once a month and then to occasional check-in sessions.
How the counseling process works for you will be established between you and your therapist.
What Happens in Individual Therapy?
Each counseling session can vary. Some days you may work on a specific issue that needs immediate attention, and other days you may work on general issues. Individual therapists have a toolbox full of treatment methods to help you reach your goals.
Treatment is psychotherapy using various techniques. The most common is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and sub-types of CBT. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the theory that thoughts and feelings influence behavior. If a person has negative thoughts and feelings about something, their actions will be negative. Your counselor will help you change the negative to positive thoughts and feelings. In turn, your actions will be positive.
Therapists today recognize integrative treatments that focus on healing the mind and the body provide positive results. Expect your therapist to supplement traditional techniques with alternative ones. For example, along with cognitive-behavioral therapy (traditional), you may also be recommended for mindfulness treatments such as meditation and yoga (alternative).
Examples of other counseling techniques include art or music therapy, equine therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, and exposure therapy.
What Are the Benefits of Individual Therapy?
The benefits of individual counseling should be called rewards. After all, you do the work to make positive, healthy changes in your life. Your hard work yields many rewards or benefits. Yours will differ from those of others, but many people report the following:
Higher self-esteem and more assertiveness
Improved communication skills
Improved relationships
Reduced stress
Improved organization and time management
Changed unhealthy habits
Decreased depression and anxiety
Improved overall well-being
Improved coping skills
The First Session
You may be wondering what the first counseling session involves. It is natural to wonder and even be nervous when you do not know what to expect. You will find the first counseling session is casual and relaxed and is spent exchanging information.
You will be asked to provide basic information, like what you provide at a doctor visit. Your counselor will need to get general background information to accurately assess your symptoms and potential causes.
Since mental health disorders can be inherited, your counselor will include your family's mental health history if you know it. Also, you may answer questions about your current living environment, relationships, career, and any childhood events that may be influencing present symptoms.
Together, you and your counselor will set short and long-term goals, as well as steps on how to reach those goals.
Get the Most Out Of Individual Counseling
The results you achieve in counseling are based on the effort you put into the process. There are some simple things you can do to improve outcomes. First, do not skip counseling sessions. If you do not go, you cannot learn and grow.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially in the beginning when you are trying to figure out if the counselor you are seeing is the right one for you. Ask about their education, licensing, favorite counseling techniques, and what they expect from you.
It’s okay to tell your counselor the truth. In fact, it is essential. Counselors do not expect you to agree with them all the time or say things you think they want to hear. There is no better place to work through differences. It’s good practice.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for a referral to a different counselor. Don’t stick with a counselor you don’t feel is best for you. Good counselors have no problem making a referral. Their goal is to help you, even if that means they are not the counselor to do it.
You can call today for an appointment with a local individual therapist. Today, you can start the journey to a healthier, happier life, the one you deserve.