Moving Forward with Counselling

This post is a continuation of a story long over due, to share how I recovered from the Bomb and picked up some Debris. Moving forward with Counselling was the next tool I was provided to help me with this journey.

I was able to see a counsellor without any additional cost while I was in school which was such an amazing blessing, I was so grateful for that. When I had gone in I had asked the receptionist if they knew if any of the counsellors were christian and she recalled that one of them was so I requested to see him.

I recall that when I first decided to go see a counsellor, I was hesitate to say anything to anyone about it, I had this innate feeling of being ashamed for seeking that kind of help. I didn't really want to share it with anyone. Over time though as I shared it with more people I felt less self-conscious about it and simply thought of it as part of my weekly routine. What I find interesting about this is that the stigma around counselling was there, like the same stigma that exists with all kinds of mental health affiliations. I didn't really realize the impact of that stigma until I became apart of it.

I never find out it hard to go in and I found that the sessions went by very quickly but making the next appointment was challenging. Too be honest, I never had a closing session with him so I felt bad for that but I am very grateful for the service that he provided for me. These are some of the ways that he helped.

1. Accountability -- he would encourage me to do simple tasks and think through ideas that I had brought up. I was grateful that I could come back and share what I had accomplished or processed.

2. Asked good questions -- I know that is basically their job and all but I am still glad, I knew that he was trying to get to the root issue, to understand the rationale behind my reasoning or thought processes.

3. Gave me practical coping mechanisms -- I really valued this, as we talked he helped me to create ways to decrease my anxiety, helping me understand that small changes (like wearing nicer clothes) do not compromise who I am as a person.

If you feel the stigma against seeking help I encouraged you to quiet that voice inside your head and go seek help. It is 100% worth it.