Life Counseling ─ Definition, Benefits, and Next Steps

The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

When life gets you down, what helps you get back up again? For some people, it’s tricky to find an answer to this question, and even the most resilient, resourceful individuals find themselves with nowhere to turn at times.

If you’re feeling stuck, off course, or unmotivated, pursuing life counseling could be a helpful next step and give you the push you need to get your life back on track. In this article, we’ll discuss what life counseling may entail while exploring its benefits and how you can get started with this service.

What Is Life Counseling?

Life counseling is a type of coaching that helps people overcome obstacles, stay accountable to their goals, and ultimately achieve life satisfaction. It differs from other types of therapy and counseling in that it isn’t as focused on exploring and healing from the past. Rather, it aims to help people look toward the future and understand the skills and strengths they have to help themselves thrive.

Someone who performs life counseling may be called a life coach, but there are also mental health professionals who offer these services. These individuals are responsible for guiding their clients in coming up with concrete steps to reach their objectives.

Life counseling can help in numerous areas, including work performance, academic success, interpersonal connectedness, and much more. Below, we’ll explore some of these different areas.

Benefits Of Life Counseling

Below are some of the potential benefits people may experience by engaging in life counseling.

• Improved academic achievement ─ Life counseling can help people identify their strengths and teach them how to use them to their advantage. This can boost their self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to become more active participants in their unique academic journeys and helping them find success.
• Better work performance ─ Life counseling can help people find ways to improve their performance at work, whether that means developing a greater awareness of their skills or leveraging new ones. They can also identify areas of growth and personal development in the workplace, explore opportunities for career advancement, and discuss ways to reduce their stress while increasing their satisfaction.
• Enhanced self-awareness ─ Life counseling offers a welcoming, supportive environment where clients can explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, helping them to learn more about themselves. They can gain a deeper understanding of their values, beliefs, and life goals, and come up with ways to live as true to themselves as possible.
• Improved relationships ─ When someone participates in life counseling, they may see significant improvements in their relationships, whether personal or professional. Life counselors can teach their clients how to build a support network of loved ones to lean on during times of difficulty. They can also help them understand the importance and power of networking for professional development. The quality of one’s social ties is directly related to their happiness, making this area of life a critical focus.
• Increased productivity ─ Life counselors or coaches can help their clients identify the unhealthy habits that may be holding them back from reaching their full potential. For example, people who procrastinate can learn how to adopt healthier habits that motivate them to work and study or even complete household chores well ahead of time.

Life counseling helps people in different ways, and the more open you are to the process, the more pronounced its effects may be. To learn more about how life counseling could benefit you, visit www.betterhelp.com/advice/counseling/how-can-life-counseling-services-help-you/.

Connecting With A Life Counselor

If life counseling seems to be something that could benefit you, consider connecting with a life counselor either locally or online. In some cases, there are centers specifically dedicated to life counseling services, which can you learn more about by performing a web search.

Upon your first meeting with your counselor, you’ll start to build rapport, discuss your reasons for wanting to participate in life counseling, and come up with goals. This initial meeting can help you decide whether the counselor is someone you can see yourself working with.

Remember that life counseling is about your needs, and you can always switch providers if one doesn’t work for you.