Introduction
In recent years, we have seen a rise in interest for mental health and wellness among the public. As mental health advocacy grows, the stigma surrounding it has begun to break down. This has resulted in many people becoming more vocal about the need for help with coping with life in a nonjudgmental space. As a result, people are becoming more and more open to approaching mental health professionals. In the pandemic, as more clients were made to face isolation, depression, and anxiety because of lockdown and quarantine measures, many also turned to remote counseling and therapy to help them process their difficult thoughts and emotions.
Counseling and therapy can provide a helping hand to clients who feel alone, helpless, or overwhelmed by their problems. Seeking professional help in the pursuit of your own mental health may seem daunting, but the first step is the most crucial. Read on to find out more about mental health counseling, how you can benefit from it, and what our doctors can do to help.
What is mental health counseling?
Mental health counseling is a broad term that refers to services that a trained and qualified mental health professional provides to clients, helping them to deal with issues that impact their lives. This can include a wide scope of situations, such as issues stemming from their professional or personal lives and learned behaviors and mindsets from their childhood and adolescence. People dealing with stress, trauma, depression, or anxiety often seek the help of a mental health counselor. Some circumstances where mental health therapists can provide help are:
- Grief or loss – Mourning the loss of a loved one is often a difficult situation to deal with, no matter what life stage a client may be in. A mental health counselor can help clients deal with these feelings of grief and loss, help them to process it in a healthy way, and allow them to continue to live their lives even after such a jarring and painful event.
- Substance abuse and addiction counseling – Overcoming addiction and substance abuse tendencies is a journey that needs time, tenacity, and a solid support system. It often affects a client’s ability to function especially when addiction and their substance is constantly at the forefront of their minds, affecting their personal lives and relationships during this battle. Mental health counselors can assist clients on this journey, teaching them coping mechanisms and how to regulate themselves, as well as providing them with healthier means to prevent themselves from falling deeper into their addiction.
- Human sexuality – Because human sexuality and gender is such a crucial part of one’s identity, it is only normal that some clients will feel very strongly about it and how it may affect their relationships with the people around them. Some also find it difficult to reconcile with themselves as they are on the path to discovering their true identities, especially when it is one that doesn’t align with the norm or their preconceived ideas of their personal identity. Mental health counselors can guide clients to navigating and nurturing their identities in a healthy way, providing a supportive and judgment free avenue to discuss why they are the way they are.
- Anger management – Because it deals in such extremes, anger can be a difficult emotion to manage especially if a client hasn’t learned how to recognize its onset and process it in a healthy way. Counselors can help clients to process this anger, discover the root of it, and find healthier ways to manage it in a way that does not affect their lives and relationships.
Clinical mental health counseling can come from a broad scope of trained and qualified professions, such as social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and guidance counselors. Under this broad scope of practice, the key identifiers of mental health counseling are clinical diagnosis and treatment. It is always crucial that clients seek treatment from the right specialist. To discover quality care and counseling options that may work for you, learn more about how Eva works.
What do mental health counselors do?
A mental health counselor opens up an avenue for clients to receive support using different treatment methods based on their training and expertise. They also provide a safe space in which clients can feel secure enough to discuss issues they may find difficult to talk about, whether it is a one on one session between the counselor and the client, a couples therapy session, or a family or group session.
A client doesn’t necessarily have to experience severe circumstances and symptoms to seek help from a mental health professional. Many want an avenue to discuss their feelings in a compassionate and judgment-free space. Some counselors can also help connect their clients to other specialized professionals who may be able to help, such as support groups, dietitians, and doctors. To learn more about how you can begin your journey to better health and well-being, visit our FAQs.
What is the difference between a mental health counselor and a psychologist?
Both psychologists and mental health counselors can accommodate clients with mental health concerns, but their approaches may be different. Aside from this, the two professions also differ in their educational background.
Some counselors receive licenses to be qualified to provide psychotherapy to their clients. They can then provide a number of strategies and coping methods to process them in a healthy way, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Psychiatrists, on the other hand, are medical doctors who treat mentally ill patients in a more clinical manner. They can prescribe medication, and they are also trained to provide treatment based on the effects of mental health conditions on a client’s physical health.
Is mental health counseling effective?
When clients seek professional help for their mental health issues, they are opening themselves up to healthier coping strategies, a positive and supportive avenue to discuss their concerns, and a trained and qualified guide that will help them be able to deal with these issues in the long run. Finding treatment that is compatible for you, especially with the guidance of a trained professional, is often more advisable and effective than continuing the same patterns on your own.
How EVA Teleconsult can help you find a mental health counselor
There are many options available for clients seeking mental health counseling, and EVA Teleconsult is here to help with highly qualified, well-trained, and compassionate professionals. Seek the help of EVA’s mental health counselors if you want:
- Same-day and on-time appointments – No more waiting awkwardly outside a doctor’s office. Appointments always start right when they’re supposed to, even if they’re set the same day.
- Guaranteed 30-minute consultations – Our doctors take the time needed to give you a full explanation of your concern, and answer all your questions to your satisfaction. You’ll be given all the information you need to make a good decision for yourself or your loved one.
- Five-star ratings for our physicians – Patients are often so pleased with our service, they can’t help but share about it and provide glowing feedback.
Begin your path to mental wellness with doctors who care and contact us today.
