Counseling is a service that allows a counselor to listen carefully and support you in resolving your worries. Compared to overseas, it is still not common in Japan, but in recent years there has been an increase in online and SNS-based services. We will explain the basics of counseling in an easy-to-understand manner, such as its effects, how to use it, and how to find a counselor.
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Counseling is a service that supports the resolution of worries while listening carefully.
Counseling is a consultation service that reduces stress and supports the elimination of worries by having a dialogue with a counselor who is a professional who listens to what you have to say. Talking about your pain with a counselor can help you feel better, organize your thoughts, and find ways to solve your problems.
Services vary depending on the facility and counselor, but in general, many are based on “listening”. Attentive listening is a “very attentive way of listening” in which you take the other person’s point of view and listen to what they have to say, while empathically engaging with them.
By listening carefully to people who have troubles, they can cleanse the hard feelings they have been holding back and release themselves from stress. This is called “catharsis”.
By going through this cathartic experience, you will be able to objectively look at the problems you have been caught up to, and you will be able to think calmly about your future actions and lifestyles.
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Counselors are “mental companions”… their role is to follow their emotions and encourage their awareness
In most counseling sessions, advice is kept to a minimum. This is to enable the consulter to gain awareness and deepen his or her thoughts through dialogue.
This is a big difference from other human support jobs. For example, a doctor gives instructions on medication and medical treatment based on a diagnosis, and various advisors give advice and guidance based on their specialized knowledge and experience. The focus of these services is not on “awareness” but on providing correct treatment and information.
On the other hand, the counselor is said to be a “counselor of the heart”, and is in a position to support the person so that he/she can walk better by himself by doing so according to the feelings of the counselor . Perhaps because of this, there are many people who feel that “I received counseling, but I was just listening to what I had to say, and I didn’t quite get it.” This is because the “awareness” that is emphasized in counseling often does not occur during the counseling session, and often appears suddenly after a while.
Because it is difficult to feel the immediate effect, people tend to think that the effect is not well understood. While having the gentle time of counseling, when you look back on your daily life, you will be able to understand yourself positively and hope to live.
A form of dialogue that is not just “listening”…a casual combination of psychotherapy
Counseling involves not only listening attentively, but also casually combining a variety of psychotherapies to effectively respond to the client’s feelings and thoughts.
For example, when discussing feelings from childhood, a counselor can combine past-focused psychotherapy such as “psychoanalysis” to help the client understand how his or her emotions and thoughts are structured. I have.
When talking about what you want to be and future goals, a counselor may help you find clues to get out of your worries while incorporating psychotherapy that focuses on the future, such as the “solution-oriented approach.”
Also, when introducing breathing techniques and meditation, the counselor may introduce work such as “mindfulness” to return to the zero point of oneself, and guide the person not to get caught up in anxiety.
In this way, in counseling, we casually incorporate psychotherapy that suits the client, while devising psychological support so that they can effectively heal their emotions and draw out their thoughts.
3 tips for finding the right counselor for you
So what should you look for in order to find counseling that suits you? Services provided by facilities and organizers vary greatly, but it is a good idea to refer to the following three points in particular and choose a counselor that is most suitable for you.
1. Search profiles and messages to find someone who seems to be a
good match for you. Compatibility with his counselor is very important. It would be a good idea to carefully look at the profiles posted on the homepage, etc., carefully examine the person who seems to suit you, and search for it.
If you get caught up in titles, educational backgrounds, careers, etc., you tend to overlook the most important thing, the counselor’s humanity, so be careful. It is a good idea to carefully read the message from the counselor written along with the profile, and choose someone who can sympathize with the philosophy and the feeling.
2. Check out his specialties, such as working people’s mental health, parent-child relationships, etc. His specialties
vary depending on his counselor. It is a good idea to carefully determine which field you are strong in and what kind of psychotherapy you are good at. Counselors with a high level of expertise have a detailed understanding of specific areas of concern, so when you talk to them, you can deepen your conversation.
Also, if you search the counselor’s name on the Internet, you can check the activities in their field of specialization and the articles they have written (however, only those who have made their names and activities public). It would be a good idea to also search the Internet to find out what kind of activities they are doing.
3. Try to use it once with the intention of “relaxing the stiffness of the mind”
Usage fees vary depending on the facility. Cheaper is better, expensive doesn’t mean it’s effective. Find a counselor that suits you, as the effects will vary depending on your compatibility and area of expertise. It is more effective if you use it continuously, but many people find it difficult to continue in terms of money and time. If you are a counselor that suits you, you will be able to feel the effect even if it is a single session, so it is a good idea to feel free to use it once with the feeling of “let’s loosen the stiffness of the heart”.
As described above, counseling is a service that supports the counselor so that he/she can move forward on his or her own while being more in tune with the client’s feelings. Please refer to the points above and find a counselor that suits you.