Making the Most of Your Counseling Experience

Hi everyone! Recently, I’ve spoken a few clients about their amazing success in counseling. They all were so gracious about my involvement in the process but ultimately, I had to remind them that the reason they have done so well, is not because of me, it is absolutely due to their dedication to the process. I thought this topic may be helpful to share about, so here we are.

First off, although the idea of counseling can be scary at first, it also can be quite the amazing experience. I can say that from a professional point of view, but also as a personal one.

Counseling brings awareness to both your strengths and your challenges. You get to learn the habits you’ve picked up over time and decide if they are habits you want to continue. Some of them may be great, and some of them may no longer serve you. With the help of a training professional, you can really change your life. But as habits take time to form, they also take time to unlearn. It requires consistent to work. You really get out of it what you put in. Pushing yourself to share things you might not normally share, is super important. It’s equally important to put into practice, outside of session, all of things you discussed in session. (Aka do your homework 😁).

And, once you feel like you have accomplished your goals, it is really important to talk to your counselor about that and come up with a maintenance plan before discontinuing services. Because if you end services prematurely, you risk losing some (or even all) of the progress you have gained, and nobody wants that!

To prevent old habits from creeping back up and taking over, a maintenance plan is a must. With most clients, when ready, I talk with them about seeing me less often but still coming in for regular visits, that way we can see how you do with keeping up the practices learned in counseling! And then when you feel comfortable and confident about the progress you have able to maintain without us seeing each other as often, we can have a healthy termination.

Remember, change takes time. Dedication to yourself and the process is key. There is no set timeline for growth, the amount of sessions needed for each individual varies because we are all unique individuals with unique backgrounds, stories, and traits. If you find the right counselor for you though, it can be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself. ♥️