THINKING ABOUT MAYBE TALKING TO SOMEONE?

If you are thinking about “maybe talking to someone” about a situation or a concern, you might have questions about therapy.  Like, what actually is therapy?  How is it different  from counseling or coaching?  What great questions!

In the world of medicine, therapy is required for rehabilitation following something like an operation, an accident or a chronic condition. Something is “wrong,” and therapy addresses and corrects that condition by helping the person develop alternative ways of moving. How this translates to mental health and well-being, is that therapy addresses concerns that have been there for a long time, by looking at what’s going on in the present and addressing current concerns by working with long-standing patterns.
    
You could think of therapy as an empowering conversation with an intention of strengthening and supporting a person's well-being. Counseling and coaching are also empowering techniques, but with slightly different objectives. Focusing on what is happening right, counseling and coaching enable us to map out actions and strategies for going forward. In counseling we consider dreams and ambitions, and formulate them into goals and plans.  In coaching we evaluate the best strategies for carrying out those plans and meeting goals.   So coaching is very much like working with a trainer to develop muscle groups in a regular program of physical exercise.
 
Therapy is a process that develops over time, in which counseling and coaching weave in and out of the conversation.  Sometimes the conversation may feel like counseling, when a challenging situation comes up, and we talk about what's happening.  The focus becomes more therapuetic if the situation triggers past situations, and it makes sense to explore its origins. Other times, we move into coaching when the focus is on taking action toward a goal or “how to” accomplish a milestone toward fulfilling a lifelong dream.

As I have tried to suggest, the conversation is dynamic and fluid, depending on the relationship between the person and the therapist/counselor/coach.  It is a conversation...that is something like an adventure! In fact, what could be more exciting than getting to know yourself and your possibilities on a whole new level?

So if you’re thinking about maybe talking to someone, see what happens if you take an action. Give me a call. It could make a difference!
  

Susan Dingle LCSW CASAC is a therapist/counselor/master coach in private practice with adolescents and adults on the North Fork.  For more information or to arrange an appointment, please call 631-734-8658.