The Role Of Counseling In Coping With Anxiety Disorers

The common focus of the theories of Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, and Carl Jung is the unconscious mind. Dela Cruz, Fernandez, Melegrito, & Valdez (2016), all of the aforementioned psychoanalysts believed that unresolved conflicts in the client’s past are the root cause of anxiety. For instance, if the counselee has been physically abused by his/her parent as a child, they might not be able to immediately forget such a traumatic experience. This might be a source of anxiety since, in future encounters with people, it is possible for the counselee to become skeptical about trusting others; or they might be afraid of even the most minimal physical contact because of the trauma that has been caused by negative events in his/her childhood.

However, that is not the only source of anxiety. According to Cherry (2018), Freud said that there are “three types of anxiety,” specifically: neurotic anxiety, real-life anxiety, and moral anxiety. Neurotic anxiety refers to the fears of our unconscious mind; it involves the mindset that we might not be able to control our id. On the other hand, real-life anxiety pertains to a human’s tendency to be distressed about events that occur in the real world; and moral anxiety entails a human’s fear of breaking his/her own set of virtues or beliefs. In addition, there are many common types of anxiety disorders – specific phobias, social anxiety disorder (SAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to name a few. An example of a specific phobia would be the fear of tight spaces, otherwise known as claustrophobia. For example, if a counselee was trapped inside an elevator in the past, he/she might avoid riding it and use the stairs instead. Meanwhile, Social anxiety disorder (SAD) was defined by Hedman, Ström, Stünkel, & Mörtberg (2013) as a situation where a person feels uneasy about the knowledge that he/she may be “scrutinized.” Lastly, post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) was defined by Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, & Chiappelli (2005) as the outcome of seeing or encountering “traumatic or life-threatening events.” A common example of clients who experience PTSD would be war veterans; they would most likely be agitated if they hear sounds that are like gunshots or when they frequently have nightmares about their experiences in the battlefield. But because counseling exists, professionals may be able to extend their help to clients who experience various mental health issues.

Counseling is essentially an avenue for depressed individuals to express their repressed emotions. It is a process that requires the counselee’s time, cooperation, and willingness to share their experience with his/her counselor; and aside from these things, the counselee must give his/her consent to undergo counseling because otherwise, counseling cannot happen. In addition, counseling is a give-and-take relationship; it is best if both the client and the counselor share some personal experiences to establish a more secure relationship and build trust between each other. It is essential for clients to undergo counseling, especially if they are already in a state of extreme despair. Although informal help exists – which means that the client’s friends and/or family may give him/her advice – it would be more ideal if actual counselors were the ones who assisted the client in resolving his/her issues. Since clients vary, it means that the root of their problems also do. For instance, a senior high school student is having a dilemma about which career path to take; it would make sense if he/she were to approach a career counselor to guide him/her in choosing a course that would lead to his/her dream job. That is why guidance therapy is important; it redirects clients to more specific domains of experts in their respective fields.

In closing, counseling is called a profession because it needs expertise and professionalism. It is a job that is more suitable for people who know how to set aside their biases and are aware that their own beliefs must not be imposed on others. Dela Cruz et. al (2016) also wrote that counselors must be knowledgeable about their work. In Dela Cruz et. al’s book, counselors were encouraged to engage in research in order to contribute more discoveries to their profession. In relation to this, counselors also need to know about alternative treatments; because of this vital requirement, counseling is viewed as an important occupation as it entails that those who are in the field have excessive knowledge about different forms of treatments/therapy and whatnot. Lastly, counseling is called a profession because it is a process that involves counselors who help their clients enhance their overall wellbeing.