What’s that old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a tonne of cure? That’s something that’s worth considering in a counselling perspective.
Let’s look at it this way. Think about situations in your life where, with the help of hindsight, you were able to look back at events/statements/behaviours/incidents that you witnessed that ended up being the starting point of a much bigger situation.
These could be external events that occur at work, within your friendships, relationships, family, or even how you’ve dealt with something yourself.
One example could be a couple that has recently started dating, everything is going well until one person notices a behaviour in the other person that just doesn’t sit well with them.
By being able to sit down and discuss what has happened in a supportive, non-judgemental and completely confidential environment, the person could look a little more closely at the incident or issue and potentially decide a course of action e.g. discussing their concerns with their boyfriend/girlfriend, finding a support service etc.
This could help the person resolve the issue early on in their relationship and prevent cracks from becoming more pronounced should the relationship continue to develop over time.
Being able to respond positively, calmly, and rationally, could lead to a completely different outcome.
This is where counselling can potentially help you…
- Assess the situation from a fresh, different and unbiased perspective
- Assist you with strategies to help prevent the issue from further developing
- Talk through the issue (rather than internalising it) which can give you a different take on the situation
The ability to be able to reflect on what has happened and look at what the possible preventative actions could be can make a significant difference and could help you avoid much bigger issues down the track.
Unfortunately (or fortunately if you look at it from another perspective), many people reach out for help after things have developed to uncomfortable or unbearable levels and this means it can be too late for preventative measures, instead, focusing on a larger crisis (such as divorce).
Also, by not taking positive steps to improve/change a small situation in the early stages can lead to other frustrations, for example, when people fight about other issues rather than what’s really, for want of a better term, “under their skin”.
Remember, like every great tree, they all start life as just a tiny sapling but continue to grow and change through their life.
Everybody is not just capable of change…everyone is constantly changing! It’s the support, encouragement and environment that we are in that dictates the type of growth that we make.
