When I told my mother that I was in counseling, she said, “Why do you need counseling? What is so wrong that you need to talk to a professional?” I hear these types of comments often. People believe there must be a “big” problem or that they must be “crazy” to need counseling. I am here as a professional to say that is not the case!
As with me, I did not have a huge dilemma or enormous chaos in my life that led me to talk to a professional. I was simply overwhelmed and anxious over my life situation. At the time, ironically, I was in graduate school earning my Master in Professional Counseling. I was taking classes full-time and seeing clients as part of my internship hours. As well, I was working part-time at a coffee shop serving up tasty lattes and cinnamon rolls.
I met with my counselor for almost a year. I know that must seem like a long time but it was totally worth the investment! I learned how to balance my life in regards to my schedule and stress level. I gained personal insight and made positive changes in my life. I even came out accomplishing goals that I did not know existed. For example, I had a great relationships in my life, but I had not realized the ways I was allowing those relationships to create anxiety. Now my relationships are much healthier and more appropriate boundaries.
Please hear me when I say you do not have to be “crazy” to go to counseling. Counseling can help anyone looking to make improvements in their life, which we should always be striving towards. I had a good friend once say, “We are all either currently in counseling or on our way there.” Try it out, even if you have no “big” problem. And no, you are not “crazy”.
Whitney Owens, LPC, MA