Why I Chose Counseling

As a counselor, I’m often asked why I chose this field. It’s a fairly common question, so most of the time I think we give a fairly common answer - to help people. Now, let me be clear, that is a perfectly valid answer that I will continue to stand by and use. I don’t mean to cheapen it or imply it isn’t true when a clinician answers this way. I chose this profession because I felt a need to help people in their everyday lives. To me, the only problem with this answer is that it feels incomplete. Of course counselors want to help people, but why did we choose mental health? 

There are so many ways to “help people”. We could have chosen to become a nurse or physician and work within hospital settings. We could have chosen physical or occupational therapy to help people make gains in regards to their physical capacities. As a personal trainer, we could help people meet their body goals. As a dietician we could help people meet their nutritional needs and work towards learning healthy eating patterns to meet body goals as well. We could have become massage therapists to help relieve tension and stress stored within our muscles, or work as a chiropractor to help realign and connect our body to its optimal functioning. The list goes on and on for the many ways we can help people; however, most of the careers I’ve already listed have one thing in common - a focus on our physical body. 

Within our society, there has been little focus on mental health. Recent years have certainly brought more attention to mental health concerns as we have rises in tragedies (suicides, mass shootings, increased rates of mental health disorders) as well as champions speaking out about their own mental health struggles. We still have a long way to go, though. 

I chose the mental health field because I have seen and experienced how these issues, if left untreated, can affect those closest to me. It can uproot families, break our strongest connections, isolate loved ones, and result in internal pressures that push us to our breaking points.

Often times people want to push through or ignore whatever mental health issues are currently plaguing them instead of addressing them with a professional. Personally, I attribute this more to not knowing where or how to start, what will help, or finding it near impossible to find the motivation, energy, time, or resources to give to working through these issues. This is not a personal failure. This is not because people don’t try hard enough.

I think it’s the exact opposite - it is a personal triumph to survive and make it through when we aren’t really taught how to work through emotional difficulties.  But in order to move past it and to thrive again, we must learn how to effectively process and work through these emotions. 

That is why I chose mental health - to help those that are silently struggling. To help them see the value in the work and effort they’ve already put in to make it this far. To help them learn new ways to grow and work through issues that we weren’t taught how to work through. To make connections with others to show that they will have someone in their corner no matter how hard it gets or how bleak it seems. I work in mental health to help reduce stigmas and be a positive voice for how giving attention to these difficult and challenging subjects is every bit as important as our physical wellness.