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You're having
marriage or relationship problems, parenting a troubled teen, dealing
with the death of a loved one, facing a possible job layoff or
something just as emotionally overwhelming. Friends and family just
haven't been able to help pull you through it. Like many perfectly
normal people, you begin to realize you need the support, understanding
and guidance of a professional counselor. Someone who can help you
navigate the crisis, regain your perspective and restore balance to
your life. But who? How do you find a professional counselor whose
style will be a good fit for you? Knowing what types of counseling
are available in your area is one of the first steps to take in your
search for professional counseling. Like many people, you are probably
already familiar with the traditional disease-oriented, medical model
of psychotherapy. During this process, a client is diagnosed with a
psychological illness and then receives treatment. A type of counseling
you may not know about is holistic counseling. Unlike traditional
psychotherapy, holistic counseling is a wellness-based process in which
the counselor and client together explore issues while addressing four
areas of wellness; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. No
diagnosis or label is required to do this. The essential component is
an open, honest, trusting and supportive counselor/client relationship.
Once this relationship is established, true inner healing can take
place. A
central belief of holistic counseling is that each of us has the wisdom
necessary to work through our issues to lead us back to our natural
state of health and wellness. Within the holistic counseling process,
the counselor serves as a guide and facilitator while the client
uncovers answers and solutions that await discovery within her or
himself. Traditional
psychotherapy views symptoms as the problem. While psychotherapy's goal
is to eliminate symptoms, holistic counseling seeks to understand the
message behind the symptoms. What is your body trying to say to you via
your headaches, your anxiety, and your feelings of hopelessness? What
imbalances in your life need to be addressed? Traditional psychotherapy
is focused on curing, whereas holistic counseling encourages true inner
healing. The following quote by Christiane Northrup, M.D., from her
book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom explains: "There is a difference between
healing and curing. Healing is a natural process and is within the
power of everyone. Curing...usually consists of an external treatment;
medication is used to mask or eliminate symptoms. This external
treatment doesn't necessarily address the factors that contributed to
the symptoms in the first place. Healing goes deeper than curing and
must always come from within. It addresses the imbalance that underlies
the symptoms. Healing brings together the often hidden aspects of a
person's life as they relate to her illness."
Another important issue to
consider when seeking professional counseling is confidentiality. In
traditional psychotherapy within the managed care system, the
confidentiality of clients cannot be guaranteed. Insurance companies
and HMO's require counselors to submit a diagnosis of each client. This
diagnosis then becomes part of a client's permanent medical record. In
addition, as part of cost containment procedures, HMO's and insurance
companies frequently require counselors to supply additional
information about a client's case. This information may then be entered
into a computer and accessed by everyone and anyone.
Diagnosing clients with an
illness just doesn't fit anywhere within a wellness-based holistic
counseling philosophy, and without the interference of managed care,
isn't required. If confidentiality is an issue for you, find a
counselor who is willing and able to accept direct payment from you. By
choosing to work directly with your counselor on a fee-for-service
basis, you can be sure of complete confidentiality.
The differences between
traditional psychotherapy and holistic counseling as well as the
differences between individual counselors are many. Becoming informed
about what types of counseling are available to you and taking the time
to find a counselor that is a good fit for you is perhaps the most
important way to ensure that your counseling experience a good one. |
