These days, not too many people feel they have the extra money to pay for counseling. Even those that do may still fell reluctant to pay. Until you’ve experienced it for yourself, it’s hard to know what you’re really paying for. Is it really that much better than talking to a friend or family member? Is it really worth sticking it our for those first few sessions often needed to lay the groundwork so that the real work can begin to take place?

There are five stages in the journey of change:

- precontemplation
- contemplation
- preparation
- action
- maintenance

It’s quite normal to find yourself cycling between the stages, or stuck in one of the first three. Making an appointment or a payment can feel like a big leap from the safety of contemplation and preparation into the unknowns of action. It’s easy to use money as a valid reason to put off making that leap. It is true, no one wants to waste their hard-earned money.

So exactly what are you paying for?

It is often said among helping professionals that it is the relationship that heals. Every counselor or therapist, regardless of school of thought or style, operates on three fundamental values: honesty, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard or non-judgemental acceptance. All helpers also aim to convey a sense of empathy, or full understanding of the issues and concerns their clients bring to their sessions.

The counseling relationship is unique because it is a relationship that is focused entirely on you. It’s a relationship where you need not worry that sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings will cause the listener to become scared, repulsed, disappointed, or made to feel guilty by you. Counselors know that all thoughts and feelings are deeply human and accept them as such.

Having your thoughts and feelings heard, understood and validated is extremely relieving and is an important first step in making room for change or to help with letting go. To further aid the process of understanding your situation, your counselor or therapist will take in all of the information you share and consider it in light of their entire knowledge of psychology. They will then select an approach that fits your history the best and that they believe will enable you to most easily create the results that you seek.

This combination of unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding, and psychological expertise, creates a working relationship where blindspots can be identified, obstacles to goals can be overcome, and painful stories can be worked through, reframed, and set aside.

The counseling relationship also functions as a social microcosm. It is inevitable that the way you interact with the people in your life, will be the same way you interact with your counselor. This element of the relationship then becomes very helpful for those who have trouble relating well with others, and for those who have trouble creating and sustaining meaningful relationships.

This is only a general description of what therapy can provide. Psychologists, therapists, and counselors are curious and caring people who are committed to finding ways to better understand and improve human life. Specific problems can be helped in a variety of specific ways. There truly is help for anyone who is willing to make an investment in their lives and well-being. It’s a temporary investment of your time and money that will pay dividends for the rest of your life.

For more specific information on the counseling process, e-mail your questions to SusanRotella@4peaceofmind.ca.

To get the most out of counseling, consider reading the following books:

Therapy Demystified: An Insider’s Guide to Getting the Right Help (Without Going Broke) by Kate Scharaff

Make Every Session Count: Getting the Most Out of Your Brief Therapy by J. Preston, N. Varzos, and D. Liebert.

Susan Rotella is a Registered Professional Counselor (cand.). She offers professional and affordable counseling online at http://www.4peaceofmind.ca.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/why-pay-for-counseling-1602865.html