Why See a Counselor? Part 1

Hello Everyone! This week on the Blog we have Adrienne Kather giving us her responses to some common reactions to counseling. As you read through, is there one particular statement that sticks out to you, maybe a belief you have or had? Leave a comment below about which on sticks out to you!

When talking about counseling (or telling people I’m a counselor) I’ve heard varying reactions about participating in counseling…and they are hardly ever positive. Although the stigma related to counseling and other mental health services has decreased over the years, it seems there is still a strong stigma (or at least some hindering misconceptions) remaining. Some of the statements are similar to the following: “I’m not crazy”, “I can handle this on my own”, “I don’t want to tell anyone about my problems”, “I’m not as bad as so-and-so”, “I can’t afford it”, “I’m reading my Bible and praying about it” and the list goes on. Similarly, I’ve heard people say in response to finding out I see a counselor say things like, “Why are you seeing a counselor, you’re normal” or “What’s wrong with you” and the list goes on.