The word ‘counselling’ is of American origin and it was coined by Carl Rogers due to the fact that he was unable to refer to his work as psychotherapy as a result of his lack of a medical qualification.

Counselling as an individual aspect of psychology began in the United States because of the World War II as during the war the United States military had a high demand for occupational assignment and training. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Veterans Administration established an area of expertise known as “counselling psychology” and the APA established Division 17 (now also known as the Society for Counselling Definition Psychology).  Counselling is a type of therapy that enables participants to address their troubles, concerns, and all complicated insecurities they have in a protected, non-judgmental setting. Counselling can occur in a variety of ways depending on the nature of your issues and the form of therapy that is most appropriate for you. You could see a counsellor alone, with your partner or family, or in a group with other people who are dealing with issues similar to the ones you have. You could meet them in person at their office, a consultation room or at a clinic, or you could communicate with them online or by phone.

Since the 1950s, there have been numerous advancements in the field of counselling meaning therapy. A great deal of research has been conducted and continues to be conducted. Along with the advancement of counseling techniques, we have gained a better understanding of neuroscience and how it affects us as humans. We are gradually getting a better understanding of the hereditary or inherited areas of our mental makeup although we are still quite far off from having a complete picture. 

What is a Counsellor?

A counsellor is a qualified, rational specialist who you can develop a trusting and comforting relationship with. They are prepared to provide various types of assistance, the most common of which is talk-based therapy. They are responsible for listening to the patient, continuing to develop therapeutic approaches, and developing coping mechanisms. They work in hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and schools. A counsellor may also occasionally collaborate with a qualified practitioner or other healthcare professionals to provide truly integrated and coordinated care. 

A counsellor offers confidential assistance. This implies that just about everything you bring up with your counsellor is strictly confidential and only for you and your counsellor. The only exception would be when a counsellor meaning a therapist has a fiduciary duty to report anything which jeopardises your or others’ well-being. What does a counsellor do? You might ask, a counsellor performs counselling duty to clients and people who have sought counsel over specific issues. 

The counsellor’s role is to assist people in resolving current problems while appreciating their value systems, culture, and their ability to make their own decisions. Counsellors consistently provide people with enough time and an enabling environment to discuss and share their troubles and evaluate emotional issues in a reliable and secure setting. Counsellors typically do not give advice, but rather they provide insight into the client’s thoughts and behaviours, and they may assist the patient/client in changing their habits if needed. They accomplish this just by paying attention to what the client says and making comments about it professionally. All of these roles help to define counsellor as a term.

What is Counselling Psychology?

Counseling psychology is a psychology speciality that focuses on general practise and health care delivery. It refers to how individuals act and behave at all ages, privately and in their relationships as well. Counseling psychologists work in a wide variety of environments, based on the services they offer and the clients they work with. Some work as teachers, research scholars, and service providers in higher education institutions. Others work in private practise, offering counselling, and consultation to persons, groups, families and organisations. Local mental health centres, Veterans Management medical centres, health maintenance organisations,  and consulting within firms are some of the other settings in which counselling psychologists work. 

What is Genetic Counselling?

Genetic counselling is the process of providing advice to families and individuals, it is performed by qualified genetics experts with clinical training in order to improve awareness and layout a strategy to fix the medical and psychological ramifications of the contribution of genetic makeup to specific illnesses.

It may be advised if you have started to notice the inherited pattern of a specific condition or disease in your family tree. When genetic counselling is given in time, it assists you in tackling issues and minimising their impact. A genetic counsellor is the primary consultant in charge of counselling you and your family -if need be- about a potential tendency of a disease and determining whether or not a genetic test is required.

What is Holistic Counselling?

Holistic Counseling is a method of assisting clients in healing by covering the overall sentient being and their personal experiences during assessment and treatment. As such words, where conventional counselling methodologies focus on the psychological effects of problems and behaviour patterns, holistic counselling assesses and treats issues and habits from the somatic and spiritual point of view. This wholeness perspective is built on the notion of holism that has been acknowledged for several thousand years. It has evolved into an approach that assists a holistic licenced counsellor in considering what diagnostic and intervention possibilities may be helpful, in addition to their training in counselling psychology and various types of therapy. It also helps the client discover potentials, which may alleviate their frustration and psychological suffering.

Apart from the holistic and genetic counselling, there some other sub categories of counselling such as:

Behavior Counselling

Patients who struggle with unhealthy behaviours, such as anorexia nervosa (eating disorder) or panic disorder, may benefit from behavioural counselling. According to this technique, a person’s actions are shaped by their own surroundings, and the issue will persevere as long as that person remains in the specific environment that reaffirm or support such disorders. Examining previous learning is essential in behavioural counselling because, if the behaviour could be learned then it could definintely be unlearned. Behaviour counsellors may use various types of counselling therapy to help clients change their habits, but the end goal is always the same. 

Marriage and Family Counselling

A lot of individuals frequently face numerous issues in their marriages and family lives. These disturbed individuals sometimes struggle to deal with their lives in general. As a result, they are constantly at odds with their spouses or relatives. Marriage and family counseling assists people with these issues. They gain their trust and propose ways to help them solve their challenges.

Humanistic Counselling

This approach to counselling is premised on the idea that each person is distinct and is capable of mental and emotional growth. Instead of concentrating on experiences, humanistic counselling focuses on assessing how an individual perceives those experiences, and how the various perceptions make them feel. The aim of this type of therapy is to enable the patient become more aware of just how their reactions to events in their life can impact them. Humanistic counsellors teach patients how to effectively work through issues and discover their own remedies.

Counseling for Substance Abuse

Substance abuse counseling is a type of counselling that assists individuals in treating and overcoming their substance addictions. It enables people to address the source of their addiction and get to the bottom of it. As a result, the counsellor meaning a therapist tends to recommend coping mechanisms that have a positively significant effect on their lives, their problem solving skills at work as well as on the lives of their loved ones. Furthermore, they equip them with opportunities to practise habits and behavioural patterns that will aid in their recovery.

Who Needs Counselling?

Couples

Numerous couples in troubled relationships wrongfully put off seeking assistance for a long time. Consider seeking the objective and non-critical advice of a specialist before issuing ultimatums or making irreversible statements. Many struggles can be avoided or better understood once you figure out how to stop keeping track of who is winning and start looking for understanding as opposed to fault or revenge. A skilled couples counsellor can assist you and your partner in further developing correspondence, closeness, and trust, all of which are essential components of a solid long haul relationship they can also help answer the question common to sceptics, “Does counselling help?”.

People who Feel Mentally Ill

In any given year, approximately 10 million adults in America are affected by genuine mental illness. seek counseling if you’ve felt moody for an extended period of time. Mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, hardly ever occur suddenly, and people exhibit symptoms for some time. These symptoms include extreme stress and anxiety, lack of responsiveness, or meddling thoughts, must not be overlooked as they are treatable.

People with Erratic Sleeping Habits

A disruption in your sleep pattern, whether by a little amount or by a great amount, is a vital sign of depression. If you’ve started to notice any major changes, it’s imperative to consider the underlying cause.

Victims of Abuse

Too many people live all over the world bearing the burden of the effect of different forms of abuse all alone because of phobias of their abuser and many of the victims end up committing suicide. If you’re a victim of abuse or are still bearing the effect of past abuse, it is worth knowing that there are counsellors who are trained to listen to you and help you overcome such feelings so you don’t have to go through them alone as that is the purpose of counselling.

Adolescents

Adolescence is a developmental period of rapid shift in a teenager’s physical, mental, emotional, and sociological environment. They are engrossed in the act of trying to understand the world as well as exploring who they really are. it is not uncommon to see a teenager in the counsellor’s office either at school or anywhere else for any of the reasons listed above, they also visit the counsellor for a more in-depth look at the dysfunctional habits they developed as children. Counselling helps these teenagers feel more confident, raise their self-esteem, and imbue in them the tangible qualities they need to traverse their social environments.

Does Counselling Work?

Over 70 percent of individuals who have taken up counselling have affirmed a rise in their self-belief, they also claim to have been emotionally strengthened and noticed an increased understanding of self and the society as a whole.

Where to Find a Counsellor

Finding a counsellor can be an easy task, all you have to do is request advice from your medical doctor as many hospitals employ social professionals or other mental health counselors. Before choosing a counsellor, make certain that you are only going to consider professionals who are licensed to practise in your location. A state website is the best place to look to see if someone is licensed in your state. To find out more information about counselling, feel free to type “what is counselling” in your respective search engine.

Search Australia Counselling today for a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist near you.