1.0 A Few Myths Busted!

We all develop our own understanding of what mental health counseling entails, or what a counselor does. We base these concepts on several factors such as society, personal experiences, articles on the internet, hearsay, media and even movies. Sometimes these concepts are quite precise to the reality of mental health professions, however often times we fall victim to myths that unfortunately become extremely popular. So let me bust a few for you. Myths that is!

1. Talk, talk, talk …

The two most popular comments about the counseling profession: “All they do is talk”, “why would I pay someone just to talk?” Okay, that’s fair I guess. But, has anyone ever received a health service without exchanging words with the health professional? Physicians? Dentists? Physical therapists? Regardless of medical condition, a physician always asks questions and tries to converse about symptoms, health history, and familial history to gain a better understanding of your overall health and to place your current condition into perspective. Only then can a treatment plan be developed to treat a condition. When the root of the problem is behavioral and emotional, professionals rely more on these conversations to understand your thoughts, behaviors, and emotional patterns. Besides, who knows your emotions better than yourselves?

Mental health counselors listen without judgment, challenge unhealthy thought patterns, and help foster healthier thoughts to increase positive emotions for stability.

2. Mind readers

If you are seeking counseling to experience mind-reading, re-route yourself to a different direction, now! I have experienced many people attempting to challenge me by asking “why don’t you tell me what I must be thinking, you read minds for a living don’t you?” The answer is no. Unfortunately, I do not read minds, it was not a part of my training. Counselors are generally trained to observe, understand, and adjust thought patterns (depending on the counselor’s therapeutic approach of course). We help you make some sense of your thoughts and emotions, especially during times when you feel overwhelmed and nothing seems to make sense. We are trained to be nonjudgmental in our interactions. Often times we become so invested in our clients that we can sometimes predict their reactions to certain events or scenarios. I have experienced several clients saying “how did you know I was thinking that?” Well, it’s because I am trained to pick up on things that a non-professional typically cannot. But it is definitely NOT because I put my hands on your head and closed my eyes (clearly, that’s my perception of a mind-reader).

3. “If I seek counseling, it must mean I am ‘crazy’ … but I am NOT crazy”!

This one has got to be the one that upsets me the most as a counselor. Several of my friends and family members have made similar comments in response to the suggestion of beginning counseling. It seems as though people begin to downplay the severity of their problems and symptoms at the suggestion of seeking counseling. “Oh it’s not that bad,” “I’m not that sad, I’m sure I’ll get over it.” Okay, but I would never suggest counseling if in my professional opinion I did not think it was “that bad.” On the other hand, I’m not calling you “crazy” either!! When counseling is suggested it simply means that you may be going through too tough a time in life to work through it, and regain emotional stability all by yourself. Or you’re going through an array of situations, making it extremely complex! In which case you would definitely benefit from having a counselor assist the processing of your emotions to your difficult experiences, and help you regain stability. What else? I want you to end your counseling journey with the tools to help you overcome future difficulties too. While I still have your attention, I’ll let you in on a secret: “Crazy” is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. You can never be diagnosed with “crazy disorder!” You are welcome.