Why People Seek Individual Counseling

Individual counseling goes by many names: therapy, psychotherapy, talk therapy, and so on. But no matter what it’s called, the process will be similar. A patient comes into the doctor’s office for a conversation with a professionally-trained clinical psychologist. But these visits differ from that of a medical doctor. These patients aren’t going to have cuts to heal, bruises to treat, or bones to mend. But even if their afflictions aren’t immediately noticeable from the outside, they need professional help all the same.

There are many roads that bring patients in for individual counseling. These roads might come from varying locations, but they all end at the therapist’s office. Each person’s road will be different, but here are some examples of why someone might seek out individual counseling.

They Are Lost

Our lives are not a clear path. Choices made lead to more choices and we can never be sure if we’re truly on the right path. And sometimes, this uncertainty breeds a level of anxiety that is very difficult for a person to shake. We seek answers but some situations don’t require answers. They simply need to be understood. 

It might not seem like it at the time, but this ability to understand is within all of us. Sometimes it just needs to be exercised. Speaking with a counselor gives you the chance to mine your mind and talk through the anxieties that come from a life of choices, decisions, and the inevitable mistakes.

Visit Dr. Phil Chanin to see how he can help you in Nashville, TN today.

They Don’t See the Good

Our viewpoints color our experiences. For instance, a meal could be served to two people and one could hate it while the other enjoys it. Maybe one person looked at the meal like a gift and the other looked at it like a chore. Now, neither of them were wrong because their opinion is their own. But one person’s enjoyment was drained because their viewpoint was slanted in a negative direction.

This can happen with every aspect of our lives. Sometimes we get in a rut and simply don’t allow ourselves to see the positive aspects of our surroundings. A therapist offers a fresh perspective on the events that shape our lives. Through discussing the issues surrounding you, it’s possible to find a new way to look at what’s been holding you back.

They Want to Improve

Negative roads aren’t the only ones that lead to individual counseling. These sessions can take something that you already enjoy and make it better. It’s pretty rare for something in our lives to be completely positive. So finding ways to improve on the small facets of overall positive parts of our lives allows our appreciation and enjoyment to grow.

Relationships, personal goals, achievements, all of these things are nuanced. They’re a complicated mix of opportunities, emotions, and work. And when we can pinpoint an aspect of something that can be improved, it further strengthens that which is already strong. 

They Want Objectivity

It’s difficult, possibly impossible, to step outside of our minds. Our thoughts are ingrained into our psyches and they can become overwhelming. They can become confusing. And if they don’t get tested, they can become misleading. We are the arbiters of our personal truths, but our judgments aren’t always sound.

This is where the objectivity of a third party comes into play. Friends and family members are great opportunities to question your ideas, but the fact is that they have preconceived opinions coloring their responses. They know you. They have their ideas about what you do and what you think. A therapist doesn’t have these previously solidified ideas. Not only are they trained to help you through your issues, but they are also a fresh perspective. They can react to your problem as you purport it without anything else getting in the way.

What can Individual Counseling Help?

Just as how there are many reasons to seek individual counseling, there are many positive results that can come from it. Any list of benefits from therapy is doomed to be incomplete, but here are some issues that can be addressed:

• Addiction
• Anxiety 
• Relationship problems
• Insomnia
• Eating issues
• Stress
• Anger

Visit Dr. Phil Chanin

Are you in a place that you can’t quite figure out? Do you have any of the above issues and need someone to speak with? Dr. Phil Chanin is a clinical psychologist and Buddhist Psychotherapist Nashville TN and  has been practicing psychotherapy for almost 30 years.

Visit Dr. Phil Chanin today for individual counseling in Nashville, TN.