MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING

The concern and discussion about mental health is increasing each day because of the millions of lives that are affected by mental health illnesses each year. Mental health is a universal asset that we all share and good mental health supports us all to reach our potential individually and collectively.
Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and the other issues around the world, the incidence of depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns have increased exponentially.
Mental health is a key part of our successful life and overall well-being, thus utmost attention must be given to it. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that “there is no health without mental health”.
Today, mental illnesses affect more and more people but only a fraction really seeks help from mental health counselors; but the truth is that mental health illnesses are treatable. There are still those, especially people who do not understand who have doubts about mental health disorders and stigmatize those that suffer from them.
Mental health is often taken for granted. People go on diets, or to the gym to be able to keep fit and maintain physical health. However, mental health is often neglected. Mental health is more than just being free from any type of mental disorder. It is an important aspect of a person’s overall well-being because if the mind is unhealthy, the rest of the body will not be able to function well.
Mental health disorder can prove to be tricky is resolving more than physical injuries or conditions; however, counseling is one of the best ways to address the main cause of mental health disorders.
The Role of Counseling in Mental Health
Counseling is a way of helping people to solve their own emotional, social, personal or interpersonal problems. Counseling sessions can treat various mental problems such as:
Depression
Eating disorders
Anger
Anxiety problems
Stress
PTSD
Grief & Loss
Addictions
Abuse & Trauma
And much more.
Mental Health Counseling is very key and important as mental health counselors play a critical role in helping people who are experiencing mental and emotional problems get their lives back on track.

Some Benefits of Counseling in Mental Health
Therapy sessions with psychologists can help in finding the main cause of the problem and find ways for the patient to deal with it naturally. Counseling also helps the patient to:
Understand their condition. During sessions, the patient, with the help of the therapist, is able to understand their prevailing mental condition and the cause of it.
Face challenges. Counseling enables the patients to face the different challenges in their life. The therapist can help determine the reasons behind the mental illness and help the patient face them in a healthy way.
Change current behavior.  Therapy can help determine current habits that alleviate the mental illness, and create ways to change them.
Give room for healing. Accepting the mental health issues is the way to healing. Letting go of the past, so as to make room for the present and future helps healing occur fast. Counseling helps to reveal ways to let go of the triggers of the condition and proffers solutions to help the patient become better.
Alleviate stress. Talking to a professional or someone who has empathy can help alleviate the stress the patient is feeling. Talking without a feeling of being judged, help the patient feel better and also understand ways to cope with what they are going through.
Making a Difference
Counseling is of paramount importance for the promotion of mental health. A level of consistency is important in counseling and the commitment of the client is necessary to counseling being successful.
Thankfully, mental health Counselors are now available and can help people facing mental health issues develop strategies and skills such as coping mechanism, to minimize and manage the effects of their condition.
By Benita Osifo – September 29th 2020
BENITA OSIFO
Lead Counselor/Consultant
NEBAISHARON SERVICES

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