Counseling offers an opportunity to gain another perspective of yourself in relation to others, to identify patterns of thinking, to alleviate anxiety, depression, and mood concerns, and to express your true thoughts and feelings. Counseling provides a safe place to address pain and work through loss, explore any concerns you may have, and gain valuable life skills. Counseling is for people who are willing to courageously face their fears, who want to become empowered and expand their lives. Counseling can actually change your brain!

Changes in the brain can occur as new neural pathways are formed. These new neural pathways allow people to think and behave differently. The catalyst for this change is experience, and counseling provides such an experience.

We learn what is acceptable and what is not from our parents, peers, and society. Sometimes we carry guilt and shame regarding the choices that we have made based on our learning of what is acceptable. Counseling offers a safe place to explore those issues, without judgment. Counseling is also confidential,* creating the safeguards necessary for an open, honest exploration of the depths of a person’s experiences.

To find a qualified mental health professional, visit Psychology Today.

RuthAnne Alexander, MS, NCC, LPC

*The legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality should be explained at the beginning of your first visit with a qualified mental health professional.