When friendships are healthy and supportive, they increase our emotional wellness. But sometimes with friends and family, we feel shame, or blame or are pressured by our loved one’s opinions of what is right/wrong.
The cornerstone of counseling is objectivity, unconditional acceptance- come as you are. Your counselor wants you to show up as the real you and not worry about being judged. Counselors offer a safe space for you to unpack and examine your true feelings.
Professional support allows you to hear your own voice and feel your own feelings and counselors don’t give advice. A counselor is a guide and will offer you helpful coping tools to carry with you on your own journey.
And think of this…with friends, it is a give and take but with counselors, it can be all about YOU!