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Counseling can provide an opportunity for self-discovery and growth that would not take place without outside assistance. It helps us to learn more about ourselves and how we think. Someone else's input may suggest new solutions to old problems or help us make the choices we were unable or unwilling to make on our own.
Most people, at some time or another, can benefit from counseling. Sometimes all that one needs is a little outside assistance to help define and solve chronic problems. In many cases all that is needed is a listening ear or someone to pray with.
Source
Psychological counseling is offered by various professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists and pastors.
Directions
While many issues can be resolved easily or quickly, deeper and more complex problems may require working with a specialist, someone with whom you are comfortable, over a longer period of time.
Expected Outcome
Counseling usually increases our self-confidence, improves our relationships, helps us to achieve important goals and aids us in making good decisions that improve our emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual well-being. Many counseling sessions conclude successfully without the counselor saying much at all.
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Counseling can help with the following: | | | | | Autoimmune |  Ulcerative Colitis | Unresolved grief is sometimes a hidden contributing factor. Resolving the issue as completely as possible may hasten healing and reduce relapses. |
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Mental |
 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Paranoia/Paranoid Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)| | Behavioral therapy teaches people with OCD to confront their fears and reduce the anxiety without performing the rituals. |
Depression| | During milder episodes of depression, it is good to reach out to others - talk to someone you trust. Sometimes, especially when people experiencing more severe depression and struggling just to get through the days, they need the help of a professional. Counseling and psychotherapy are extremely effective in treating depression, either alone or in conjunction with medication. The important thing to know is that depression is one of the most well-understood and treatable psychological disorders, and help is available. Certain types of psychotherapy, namely cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT), have been shown to be particularly effective. |
Unresolved Grief |
Metabolic |
Bulimic Tendency
Anorexia / Starvation Tendency| | Anorexia requires counseling as it is mainly a psychological problem. |
Bruxism (Clenching/Grinding Teeth)| | Bruxism is sometimes due to strong emotions such as resentment, frustration, anger, grief, or fear, and can result from a dysfunctional family situation. |
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Uro-Genital |
Susceptibility To Miscarriages| | Depression and guilt are often the result of a miscarriage and counseling can help. Furthermore, there appears to be a strong connection between diet, lifestyle, and risk of spontaneous abortion. Before becoming pregnant, therefore, it is a good idea to have counseling about the risks. |
 Premature Ejaculation| | Rather than a physical exam, useful information is more likely to be obtained from interviewing the man or the couple. Premature ejaculation is most often a function of anxiety and overstimulation. Other psychological factors, such as guilt, may also be relevant if the prematurity develops later in a relationship as opposed to earlier. |
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KEY | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. An immune system deficiency disorder that suddenly alters the body's ability to defend itself. The AIDS virus invades the T4 helper/inducer lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and/or cancer, with ultimate death.
Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia)
An eating disorder characterized by excess control - a morbid fear of obesity leads the sufferer to try and limit or reduce their weight by excessive dieting, exercising, vomiting, purging and use of diuretics. Sufferers are typically more than 15% below the average weight for their height/sex/age and typically have amenorrhea (if female) or low libido (if male). 1-2% of female teenagers are anorexic.
Anxiety
Apprehension of danger, or dread, accompanied by nervous restlessness, tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath unrelated to a clearly identifiable stimulus.
Bruxism
Prolonged, unintentional grinding and clenching of the teeth, usually occurring during sleep. 'Bruxers' are often unaware that they have developed this habit. Symptoms include abraded/chipped teeth (in extreme cases, waking up with tooth chips in the mouth); facial pain; oversensitive teeth; tense facial and jaw muscles; headaches; dislocation of the jaw; damage to the tooth enamel, exposing the inside of the tooth; a popping or clicking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ); tongue indentations; damage to the inside of the cheek.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Dysfunctional Family
A family in which problems tend to be chronic and in which children's needs are not met. Negative patterns of parental behavior tend to be dominant in their children's lives. Most families have some periods of time where functioning is impaired by stressful circumstances such as a death, an illness or the loss of a job. Healthy families return to normal functioning after the crisis passes.
Miscarriage (Miscarriages, Spontaneous Abortion)
The expulsion of a fetus before it is able to survive outside of the womb.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Obsessive Compulsive, Obsessive-Compulsive, OCD)
Those suffering from OCD have obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions refer to recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and cause severe anxiety or distress. Compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors and rituals (such as hand washing, hoarding, ordering, checking) or mental acts (like counting, repeating words silently, avoiding). These obsessions and compulsions significantly interfere with normal routine, functioning, social activities and relationships.
Last updated: Jun 01, 2008
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