Counseling Sessions For All Your Needs
Individual counseling is the process of working with a licensed counselor to treat mental health problems, as well as to process conflicts and stressors. People often seek out therapy in order to find help with issues that they cannot face alone, to improve their quality of life, to inspire change, and to overcome obstacles. Individual counseling is when you work with a mental health professional one-on-one in order to work through your concerns in a safe, confidential environment.
If there is something that is causing you distress or interfering with your day-to-day life, therapy can help you learn how to respond, how to use healthy coping mechanisms, and how to regain control of your life. When you go to individual counseling, you will learn about your condition and better understand your thoughts and behaviors, so that you can improve your functionality and well-being.
Individual counseling gives you a safe space to talk about your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment where you can find support and healing. It can help you overcome unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns and establish healthy alternatives. Regardless of whether you need help with a mental health condition or with a difficult situation, therapy can help you find healthy coping mechanisms and feel better about yourself and your life.
What To Expect at Your First Therapy Session
When you go to your first therapy session, also known as an intake, you should expect to discuss why you are seeking individual counseling and what you hope to gain from it. Your therapist will gather information about you, your needs, and your concerns. You will be asked to fill out forms about your current and past physical, mental, and emotional health. It can take a few sessions for your therapist to get a good understanding of your situation and to determine the best course of action for you.
You can expect to do most of the talking during therapy, with your therapist providing feedback or asking questions either as needed or as requested. This helps you to develop self-confidence and ensures that sessions are focused on you and your needs. Therapists can help you to understand your thoughts and feelings.
Sessions typically last 45-60 minutes. Depending on your needs, your therapy may be short-term, about 5 sessions, sometimes more, sometimes less, or long-term, which can take place over the course of months or years. Your therapist can give you an estimate of how long they think your sessions will go on for, although this can change over time, depending on your progress, the therapist’s availability, and other factors.
Your therapist will outline the extent of confidentiality with you during your first session. Sessions with your therapist are almost always confidential, except in cases where there is an immediate threat to your safety or the safety of someone else, or as required by law, such as when a judge orders your treatment records. Your therapist will be able to answer any questions you may have about confidentiality.
The first therapy session is a chance for you and your therapist to see if you will be able to work well together. You can decide to continue to search for another therapist if you feel the therapist isn’t a good fit, or your therapist may decline to further treat you and give you a referral to another therapist if they feel that it is not a good fit or your concerns are outside the therapist’s realm of expertise.
In order to get the most out of therapy, you’ll want:
- To make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist
- To approach therapy as a partnership and share in decision making
- To be honest and open about your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and concerns
- To go to all of your sessions, even if you don’t feel like it, in order to be able to progress
- To be realistic about the time it can take before you start to notice improvement. Individual counseling requires a lot of hard work, and it can take several session before you notice results
- To do any homework the therapist gives you, such as activities or documenting your feelings in a journal
- To tell your therapist if something isn’t helping, so that they can adjust their approach to something that could be more effective for you
Why You Should Seek Individual Counseling
Individual counseling can help you with many mental health problems, as well as with the stresses and conflicts life throws your way.
Some of the mental health problems that individual counseling can help with include:
- Anxiety disorders, such as General Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and more
- Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar
- Personality disorders, such as Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and more
- Addictions, such as substance abuse and gambling
You do not need to have a mental health issue in order to seek individual counseling. Some of the other things that individual counseling can help you with include:
- Major life changes, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss
- Recovery from abuse or witnessing violence
- Interpersonal conflicts
- Learning how to manage unhealthy behaviors/reactions, such as road rage
- Stress from work or another situation causing you anxiety
- Learning how to cope with ongoing or serious health problems
- Improving your general outlook on life
- And much, much more
Individual counseling can provide you with benefits that last even long after you have stopped seeing your therapist. Individual counseling gives you a safe space and a trusting relationship to talk about anything that is going on in your life.
Therapy can help you:
- Learn how to articulate your feelings and emotions
- Establish healthy relationships
- Understand boundaries
- Understand problematic behavioral patterns
- Take accountability for behaviors
- Increase your self-awareness
- Identify your defense mechanisms
- Learn healthy coping mechanisms
- Gain confidence and self-esteem
Find Professional and Affordable Individual Therapy at Ogden Psychological Services
Ogden Psychological Services provides individual counseling for many different issues and concerns. Our board-certified, licensed counselors are here to help you in a safe, comfortable, confidential environment. Contact us to schedule a consultation or to learn more about the therapy services we provide.
