Four ways counselling can help you feel better

May 16, 2023

It’s a common misconception that counselling is only helpful or worthwhile if you’re struggling. While counselling can absolutely help you manage a mental health issue, or process a big life change, the truth is that counselling can be just as valuable during times when you feel okay.

Counselling is a space where you can talk about anything you want – whether it’s something you need help with, or something you want to get off your chest. An experienced counsellor can help you learn and develop healthy strategies for managing stress, and provide a listening ear.

In recognition of this year’s Mental Health Week theme – #MyStory – we asked a few TELUS Health employees to tell us how counselling has helped them in their lives. Here are a few of the responses we received.

Counselling provides a safe space

“Counselling gave me a safe space to share my thoughts without judgement and provided me with tools I could implement to help me during my challenging moments. It actually made me feel lighter, and provided a huge sense of relief.”

Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to bear the burden all by yourself. Speaking to an empathetic person can help you feel less alone.

It can be helpful to talk to a friend or a partner about what you’re experiencing, but there may also be times when this isn’t the best option. People close to you may have their own biases, or be too personally invested in the situation to be objective. If you’re dealing with a highly personal issue, or something that may have a direct impact on your loved ones, it might not be as comfortable talking about it with someone you know.

A counsellor’s job is to listen, and provide advice from a non-biased perspective. Counsellors also take your privacy very seriously. In a counselling environment, you can be assured that everything you say remains confidential.

Counselling can teach coping skills

“At the very start of the pandemic I got covid before we really even knew what it was. It was before vaccines at a time when lots of people were in the hospital on ventilators. After I recovered it left me extremely anxious about my health and what the long term [effects] might be. Counselling helped me work through that anxiety and gave me tools to cope[.]”

Life will throw you a curveball every now and then. Whether it’s an illness, a loss, or another big change, these unexpected events can make us feel lost and overwhelmed.

During times like these, a counsellor can provide you with training and guidance on how to manage issues like anxiety. Speaking with a counsellor doesn’t just provide temporary relief – it can help you develop mental tools to deal with life’s challenges on your own.

Counselling can allow you to explore your identity

“As a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, counselling gave me a space where I could explore aspects of my identity before I was ready to talk about it with loved ones. Being able to talk to someone without judgement helped me feel secure enough to open up to my friends and family. It ended up strengthening a lot of those relationships, and lifted a big weight off my shoulders.”

Questioning your identity can be challenging. You may feel unsure of how or where you fit in. You might have concerns that family, friends, or coworkers won’t be supportive. Counselling can provide a safe space to work through questions around gender identity, sexuality, and any other aspect of personal identity.

Most counselling offices and virtual platforms allow you to see counsellor profiles and learn more about each counsellor’s background before you book, so you can get an appointment with someone who shares similar experiences.

Remember, with any counselling relationship, you are in control. You can talk about – or not talk about – whatever you want. And you are always free to seek out a different counsellor if you don’t feel like you “click” with one person.

Counselling can help you manage self-talk

“Counselling has helped me notice when I’m in need of more self-compassion.”

“Counselling has helped me with managing my [self-talk], understanding what thoughts are not substantiated and helpful[,] and pushing those aside and focusing on positive facts about myself.”

Whether it’s a literal internal monologue, or just the conscious and unconscious ways you perceive yourself, we all have self-talk. Self-talk isn’t inherently bad. It helps us make decisions, and when it’s positive, it can be an important source of self-worth and motivation. Unfortunately, for many people, self-talk is more negative than positive.

Negative self-talk is when you focus disproportionately on negative thoughts in your internal monologue. Developing positive self-talk and having compassion for yourself can only benefit yourself and others, but it can be tough to argue against your own self-talk. That’s why seeing a counsellor can be so helpful.

Experienced counsellors can teach you the mental tools to combat negative self-talk, and use reasoning to find the positive aspects of a situation.

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Regardless of who you are or what’s on your mind, counselling can be a helpful way to make positive change in your life. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

Book an appointment with a counsellor through the TELUS Health MyCare app to see a counsellor conveniently from your home.