Mental Health has become a more popular topic of conversation online recently. Since the pandemic started, more people are realizing how important our mental health is. Psychological counseling is a type of counseling that uses psychology to help patients overcome their daily challenges. 

Psychological counseling is different from therapy in that therapy is usually more intense, and involves trying to solve deeper mental health issues. Whereas, counseling is very is done to help solve short-term and current every day issues with emotional/behavioural and mental health. 

A psychological counsellor is somebody who usually has a university degree in Psychology. They are not able to prescribe medication, as they are not medical doctors. 

Anybody who has issues in their life that are becoming burdensome on them - can see a counsellor. Counsellors will help you learn the skills you need to deal with difficult life situations and emotions.  Counseling services are becoming more and more available these days. 

Even online counselling services have become more popular since the pandemic. It is commonly known that the worst thing a person can do to themselves, is keep their difficult emotions inside of them. 

The more negative feelings you repress inside of yourself, the harder it will be to keep them all inside permanently. One day, you will burst. This is why it is very important to address your struggles and emotions in a way that is healthy, safe and productive. Psychological counselling is the perfect space that gives you the tools to do so. 

According to World Health Organization, mental health issues affect 450 million people worldwide. Our minds are organs that need to be taken care of, just like our bodies do. Our minds can get hurt just like our bodies get hurt. There is a beautiful Arabic proverb that says “the healthy mind is in the healthy body”. Scientifically, it has been reported that people with mental health illnesses are more likely to develop physical illnesses later in life. It is scientifically known that people with depression are more likely to develop serious long-lasting physical illnesses such as heart disease and others. This is why it is important to not trivialize mental health issues as a society.

Even though, as a society we are starting to move away from this stigma around mental health, it is important to highlight that visiting a psychological counsellor is important. Dealing with mental health issues does not make anybody “weak”. There is a direct link between our mental and physical health, and anybody can end up struggling with their mental health. They should not be seen as separate entities. Going to a counselor for help with mental health struggles is equally as important as going to the doctor when we get sick.

Psychological Counseling is a service that is offered to anybody in any walk of life. No matter what phase of life you are in, whether you are a student, a working professional, a spouse, a parent. Stress is a big factor that could lead to mental health issues. On top of the stresses of life, anybody can also be dealing with traumatic events, difficult life experiences and major life transitions. 

Psychological counselors are trained to teach people how to cope with difficult mental and emotional states. There are many advantages people can get out of going to psychological counseling. Psychological counseling helps people gain emotional management skills, communication skills, an increased self-confidence, an increased ability to solve problems, and a more positive mindset.

 If you are wondering if seeing a psychological counsellor would be beneficial for you, these are some good reasons to go see one. 

• Anger issues are very important to seek help with because they can strain the relationships in your life. Issues with your family members that you are unable to solve together, are worth discussing with a counsellor. Psychological counselors can provide you with tips on how to strengthen your communication skills and break down communication barriers. Stress/anxiety are very common problems among people nowadays.

•  Psychological counselors can help you learn how to find out your triggers that cause you stress and anxiety. Abuse, grief and trauma are incredibly difficult situations for anybody to be in. People need a lot of emotional support and guidance that are specific to each individual. Therefore, it is very important to see a professional if you are dealing with grief, loss, abuse or trauma. 

• Seeking psychological counselling will not only benefit you directly, but will also benefit everybody you interact with in your life. 

Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that our lives are a lot more linked together than it seems. We don’t live in a vacuum where each of us live completely separate lives. Our actions and words do affect each other, even those we aren’t directly interacting with. 

Taking care of our mental health is an obligation on us as Muslims, just like taking care of our bodies is. Therefore, we must always make sure that we are taking care of our mental health. A big part of doing that is seeking help whenever we are struggling. 

If you are seeking psychological help, feel free to book a session with one of our mental health/psychological counsellors on our platform here 

Written by Gheed Al Nassan