The need for mental health counseling can be difficult to discuss, but it is a great help to people dealing with a wide variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Talk therapy is included in the category of mental health counseling. Talk therapy creates an environment of open and honest communication about issues that may be causing a person distress. Distressing issues can include but are not limited to facing a significant crisis, an extended period of anxiety or depression, a major life transition, complicated family dynamics, relationship struggles, substance abuse, or simply wanting to improve mental and emotional health. Talk therapy can provide many benefits for these stressful situations.
The benefits of talk therapy include:
- The ability to analyze thoughts, feelings, and worry without judgment.
- An ability to develop coping strategies that work for you in the different situations that you might face.
- It provides an opportunity to practice self-reflection and awareness.
- It determines which habits you need to change and create a plan to make those changes.
- It establishes a safe environment to learn to communicate about relationships and how to improve or better understand the relationships in your life.
To get the most benefit from talk therapy, it must be approached as a collaborative effort. Open, honest communication with your mental health counselor is the key to determining a treatment plan that will be successful. Following through on between session assignments such as journal entries will help you remember specific moments that you need to discuss with your counselor. This active participation in your mental health through talk therapy will get you results.
At Gilstrap and Associates, we are committed to your mental health and well-being. We have a wide range of counselors in our office who are available and prepared to invest in all our patients’ wellness promotion, prevention, treatment, and recovery. Please contact us to determine if our practice will be a good fit for you.