Dispelling the negative stereotypes and myths of counseling:
In answering the following questions, hopefully we can eliminate some of those
counseling myths!
What is counseling?
Counseling is an opportunity for you to discuss struggles and concerns in a confidential and safe setting with a trained and objective person.
It is a safe place to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so you can develop goals to best handle life's challenges.
You will learn new skills and ways of viewing your challenges in order to resolve them and become more capable of solving new challenges on your own in the future.
What happens in counseling?
Once you have decided that counseling might be a good option for you, you can schedule an intake session by making an appointment with the Practicum/Intern Counselor
(refer to contact information). In the first session with your Practicum/Intern Counselor, you will fill out the necessary paperwork
and the counselor will discuss confidentiality with you, along with how s/he plans to approach counseling. In this intake session,
it is an opportunity for you and the counselor to discuss the nature of your concerns and the role of counseling in addressing these concerns.
This is also a way for the counselor to assess if your needs match the capabilities of her/his training.
Following the intake session, you will meet with the Practicum/Intern Counselor on days and times that work for both of you.
You and your counselor will work together to achieve your mutually agreed upon goals. The number of sessions and how often you meet with the counselor varies from person
to person and depends on each person’s unique needs. Once you and your counselor have mutually agreed that your goals have been achieved and your needs
have been met, your relationship with the counselor will end.
Who goes to counseling and why?
Counseling
is not just for those suffering from severe psychological problems. People come to counseling for a variety of different
reasons from exploring sexuality and gender, to solving relationship issues including roommate problems; from anxiety and depression to
dealing with drugs or alcohol. For students, it is also
common to seek counseling to deal with the stress of school: career indecision,
disappointing academic results, loneliness, isolation or homesickness, time management and study skills, adjusting to a new environment
including a new town or state- the list goes on. People even seek counseling to learn skills on how to interact better with others, learn how other
people perceive them, and/or build self-esteem. Many times people seek counseling just to have someone objective to talk to or have a healthy “check up,” much like
going to the doctor. There are a range of reasons to go to counseling and
it does not mean you are “sick,” cannot handle life, or are a bad person.
Deciding to seek counseling is the first of many steps to a healthy you. Go ahead; contact the counselor if you have questions or to make an appointment! Call 855-0916 or email:
glbtcoun@indiana.edu
