Professional psychological counselling is a safe collaboration in the form of a therapeutic relationship that exists between qualified counsellors and clients. This relationship helps to promote mental well-being, improve self-understanding, and resolve concerns that have been identified by the psychologist. Clients are active participants in all stages of the counselling process.
Professional counsellors work with those patients that are diagnosed as having one or more mental illnesses and also those who have a range of social, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Sometimes, psychologists also work with those who may not be afflicted with mental illness but who want to make a positive change in their lives.
Counsellors work with a variety of individuals including children, youngsters, adults, families and couples. Sometimes, they even work with groups of people. Psychological counselling may be short- or long-term, or even over a person’s entire lifetime if such a need arises.
Counselling usually is shorter-term work and is more focused on problem-solving, helping clients understand and deal with difficult events, and using resources to build and support the change they require to improve their lives.
Psychotherapy is a longer-term process and focuses on understanding, identifying, and coming to terms with emotional issues and their patterns and internal conflicts that limit individuals from living a fuller and more satisfying life.
Professional counsellors’ help is also sought by those struggling in their educational or vocational fields. In such cases, counselling helps the individual(s) gain better control over their lives. They tend to work more with those patients whose symptoms are less severe whereas clinical psychologists tend to work more with serious mental illnesses such as psychosis.
What is Psychological counselling all about
During psychological counselling, the counsellors use empathy to establish a strong bond with their clients. Moreover, they are fully present and listen to the client during the sessions. The outcomes are best when the client feels safe, secure, respected, understood, and accepted without judgment by the counsellor.
Psychological counselling is a profession that is based on a strong evidence base. Specialised interpersonal skills of the counsellor and empirically supported interventions help to bring about positive changes in their clients’ lives.
Counsellors are trained in a variety of approaches to work with different clients hailing from diverse backgrounds. Counselling may be broad or focused.
Clients may approach psychological counsellors with problems related to aspects of their identity, relationships with self and others, spirituality, past experiences, grief and loss, parenting issues trauma, child abuse, use of alcohol and other substances, domestic violence, depression, anxiety, and unusual or stressful experiences.
Goals of Psychological Counselling
Psychological counselling helps individuals overcome many of their current and future problems. Many individuals experience varied and perplexing psychological problems due to a variety of reasons.
The counsellor should be able to authoritatively address problems that may cause struggles for their clients in the vocational, educational, marital, personal, and parental facets of their lives.
The major objective of psychological counselling is to help such individuals become self-dependant, self-confident, and self-directed and be able to adjust to the demands of modern life. Psychological counsellors help their clients to enhance their social, personal, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual development.
Changes facilitated by psychological counselling may occur as a change in perspective, new ways of thinking about situations, new insight, a new awareness of feelings, new actions or behaviours, improved capacity to regulate feelings, and form new decisions about life for the patients.
The outcome of psychological counselling treatment is best when the relationship between the patient and the client is deep, positive and professional.
Psychological counselling at Softmind
Professional counsellors at Softmind are well-qualified, trained and experienced in their fields. In addition to participating in ongoing professional development they also stay current with the latest developments in their profession and ensure ethical and safe practice.
Our psychological counsellors are experienced in the following areas:
• Abuse
• Bereavement
• Family Issues
• Depression
• Affairs
• Anger management
• Gender and Sexuality
• Anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Stress
• Cross-cultural issues
• Relationships
• Cross-cultural issues
• Suicidal thoughts and self-harm
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive Compulsions
• Low confidence and self-esteem
• Panic attacks
• Sexual issues
• Work-related stress
Our sessions for psychological counselling in Cochin are for those who are having problems they cannot handle, feelings they cannot control, or probably just don’t know how to deal with some problems in their lives or find answers to some questions about life. This is when they come to us. To this end, our counsellors endeavour to create an apt environment in which change can take place easily. Our child psychologists in Calicut are well trained to handle children’s psychological problems and bring them to successful completion.
Our professional counsellor explores with the client the many different ways that will help to change their thinking and attitudes towards life. They also teach coping skills that will help them correct these issues on their own.