April is National Counseling Awareness Month. This month, we recognize and honor counselors everywhere and work to bring recognition that counseling can help anyone.
What do counselors do?
Licensed psychologists, licensed clinical professional counselors, licensed certified social workers and psychiatrists are all professionals who provide some form of counseling. Counseling is a collaboration between a client and a professional working toward a common goal of improving mental health, relieving stress or learning coping skills.
Counselors play an important role in helping people address mental health issues that affect millions of people worldwide. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports about 21% of Americans suffer from mental health issues and about 5% have a severe mental illness.
Who goes to counseling?
As we highlight the importance of counselors this month, it is also critical to note that counseling is still very stigmatized in the U.S. Studies show that most people could benefit from talking to a counselor at some point in their lives.
CROSS Jail Alternatives Coordinator Shannon Stewart talked about the ways counseling can help anyone and that people don’t have to fight life’s battles on their own.
“In the field of substance use, we say, ‘Life on life’s terms.’ Life has a way of throwing curveballs, and it is during those times having a counselor can give you the tools you need to catch and weave away from those curveballs,” Stewart said. “In the Jail Alternatives Program, we typically come into someone’s life after life throws a couple of curveballs their way. We get the opportunity to help people find alternative ways to handle those curveballs, whether it is getting people connected to services or just being an advocate who listens and lets them know they do not have to handle life on life’s terms alone.”
How does counseling work?
Typically, a counselor will meet with a client routinely to talk about problems or concerns with their mental health. The counselor listens and works with the client to best determine how to help. It’s normal to feel anxious or worried about seeing a counselor for the first time, but it’s important to remember that a counselor is there to help, not judge.
Thinking about talking to professional about your mental health? We can help you find a caring professional close to home. Contact us here: CROSSMentalHealth.org/contact-us/.