Counselling psychology is a general practice and health service provider specialty in professional psychology. It focuses on how people function both personally and in their relationships at all ages. Counselling psychology addresses the emotional, social, work, school and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives, focusing on typical life stresses and more severe issues with which people may struggle as individuals and as a part of families, groups and organizations. Counselling psychologists help people with physical, emotional and mental health issues improve their sense of well being, alleviate feelings of distress and resolve crises. They also provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of more severe psychological symptoms.
Across all stages of development (i.e., childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age), counselling psychologists focus on:
Healthy aspects and strengths of clients (whether being seen as individuals, couples, families, groups or organizations.
Environmental/situational influences (how cultural, gender and lifestyle issues shape people’s experiences and concerns).
Issues of diversity and social justice (e.g., advocacy).
The role of career and work in peoples’ lives.
The problems addressed by counselling psychology are addressed from developmental (lifespan), environmental and cultural perspectives. They include, but are not limited to:
School and career/work adjustment concerns.
Making decisions about career and work, and dealing with school‐work‐retirement transitions.
Relationship difficulties‐including marital and family difficulties.
Learning and skill deficits.
Stress management and coping with negative life events.
Organizational problems.
Dealing with and adjusting to physical disabilities, disease or injury.
Personal/social adjustment.
The development of one’s identity.
Persistent difficulties with relating to other people in general.
Mental disorders.
The procedures and techniques used within counselling psychology include, but are not limited to:
Individual, family and group counselling and psychotherapy.
Crisis intervention, disaster and trauma management.
Assessment techniques for the diagnosis of psychological disorders.
Programs/workshops that educate and inform the public about mental health, school, family, relationship and workplace issues so that problems can be prevented before they start or reduced before they get worse.
Consulting with organizations.
Program evaluation and treatment outcome (e.g., client progress).
Training.
Clinical supervision.
Test construction and validation.
Research methodologies for scientific investigations.
Clients served by counselling psychologists include individuals, groups (including couples and families) and organizations. Counselling psychologists work with individual clients of all ages, such as children who have behavioural problems; late adolescents with educational and career concerns or substance abuse problems; adults facing marital or family difficulties, career changes, or overcoming disabilities; and older adults facing retirement. They work with groups to assist them in finding solutions to many of these same problems, as well as to improve the personal and interpersonal functioning of group members. Counselling psychologists also consult with organizations (e.g., businesses) and work groups to help provide a work environment in which people can succeed, and to enhance the ability of organizations to increase productivity and effectiveness.
Child psychology refers to the treatment of a wide range of issues and disorders that affect children and their families.
The emotional, mental and behavioural disorders that affect children are often treated differently than adults. Typically, in child psychological care we have to work with a child on a one-on-one basis in order to build trust and talk candidly. In many cases, a child’s caregivers (parents)or other important individuals (e.g. teacher, paediatrician) are involved in the treatment process.
The emotional well being and physical health of children and adolescents is very important. Children and adolescents with good mental health will be able to develop resilience to cope with the various problems and difficulties that life throws at them. This will also enable them to grow into confident and healthy adults. For any queries or problems related to your child or adolescent fix up an appointment with us as we can help you and your child overcome their difficulties with ease and comfort.
What Is Relationship Counselling?
Relationship counselling, also known as couples counselling or couples therapy, is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping people improve their romantic relationships. By working with a therapist, couples can explore issues in their relationship, work on their communication, improve interactions, and resolve conflicts.
While relationship counselling is often used to address problems, it can be helpful at any stage of a relationship. People in healthy, happy relationships can still benefit from counselling that strengthens their communication and connection.
When to Seek Relationship Counselling
Many people believe that you should only seek relationship counselling when separation or divorce is looming. But that is often too little, too late. Relationship therapy should begin as soon as the problems get in the way of your daily life. Here are some signs that you might benefit from a consultation:2
You have trouble expressing your feelings to one another
You have one or more unsolvable disagreement
There is withdrawal, criticism, or contempt in your interactions
A stressful event has shaken your daily life
You have trouble making decisions together
You have experienced infidelity, addiction, or abuse
You want a stronger relationship
Remember that there are no wrong reasons to seek relationship counselling. Some couples start therapy as soon as they are married, even without obvious problems, to build a strong foundation and prevent serious problems from developing. Counsellors can help you become better communicators, develop strong relationship skills, and improve your family’s happiness.
It's best to acknowledge problems early and seek therapy as soon as possible.
Problems with relationships are not limited to romantic ones, even though that’s the most popular reason people consult for relationship therapy.
Relationship therapy isn’t just for married people; cohabiting couples ( live in relationship), people in non-monogamous relationships, and LGBTQ people can also benefit. It can also be helpful for siblings dealing with family issues, or even business partners.
Premarital counseling is a type of relationship therapy that helps prepare couples to enter into a long-term commitment. This type of counseling focuses on helping couples develop a strong and healthy relationship before marriage and identify any potential problems that might lead to issues down the road.
Some of the relationship issues that might be addressed during premarital counseling include:
Communication
Family relationships
Finances
Parenting choices such as whether or not to have children and parenting style
Roles and responsibilities
Sex and affection
Values and beliefs
This type of relationship counseling can be a good way to establish realistic expectations and develop healthy communication skills that will set a marriage off to a good start.
From mood swings to school issues, all teens have problems. But sometimes, a teen's distress might rise to a level where it's important to seek professional help. Therapy certainly doesn’t need to be reserved for life-altering events or serious mental health problems, however. Meeting with a therapist can prevent minor issues from turning into major problems.
If you think your teen could benefit from talking to a mental health provider, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with a professional. Talk to your paediatrician or schedule an appointment directly with us. Sometimes, even just a few therapy sessions can make a big difference to your teen’s overall well-being.
Teens can benefit from meeting with a therapist to talk to about a variety of topics, ranging from relationship issues to questions about sexual identity. Here are some of the reasons teens go to therapy:
Mood disorders often start during the teen years. And if left untreated, depression can last into adulthood. An accurate diagnosis and early intervention are key components of effective treatment.
While it’s normal for teens to worry sometimes, some teens experience intense anxiety. Anxiety disorder can interfere with many different aspects of a teen's life, including friendships and academics.
Whether your teen has difficulty speaking in front of the class, or constantly worries bad things are going to happen, therapy could help them learn how to manage their symptoms.
Suspensions from school, and aggressive behaviour may be symptoms of more serious problems. A therapist could help uncover potential mental health issues, skill deficits, or social problems that may be driving your teen’s behaviour.
Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol can become serious problems for teenagers. A substance abuse counsellor can assess your teen’s substance use and help determine the most appropriate course of treatment. Individual therapy, group therapy, detox, or residential treatment may be options depending on the severity of a teen’s problems.
Teenagers can get stressed out. Whether it’s the pressure to perform well on an exam or concerns over what to do after high school, stress can take a serious toll. Therapy can help a teen learn skills to manage stress successfully—and that’s something that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Bullies, failing grades, cliques, and teacher-related issues are just a few of the social-related problems many teens experience. Teens often aren’t sure where to turn for help.
Therapy can provide teens with support and give them skills that will help them navigate high school successfully.
Stealing, underage drinking, or fighting are just a few of the reasons teens get into trouble with the law. Sometimes, they’re mandated by probation—or their parents—to receive counselling. Therapy can help a teen learn how to make healthier choices so that further legal issues can be prevented.
While most teens struggle with self-confidence issues at one time or another, some experience serious self-esteem issues. When those issues are left unaddressed, teens are at a higher risk of problems such as substance abuse and academic failure. Therapy can help boost a teen’s self-esteem.
Whether it’s a near-death experience or a sexual assault, traumatic events can have a lifelong impact on a teen.
Therapy can increase resilience and reduce the impact the traumatic event has on a teen’s life.
Early intervention can be the key to helping a teen recover from traumatic circumstances.
Teens deal with grief a little differently than adults and the loss of a loved one can be especially difficult during adolescence. Individual, family, or group therapy can help teens sort out their feelings and make sense of their loss.
Teens don't need to be experiencing specific symptoms of mental illness to benefit from therapy. Some other reasons that teens might want to think about psychotherapy include:
A desire to gain greater self-awareness
A desire to talk about difficult topics to people other than friends or family
A need to discuss sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity
Autism
Dealing with a disability
Difficulty adjusting to changes in life
Eating disorder symptoms such as restrictive eating or binge eating
Feelings of loneliness
Problems with negative thinking
Romantic relationships
Self-harm or risky behaviours
Struggles with identity or self-worth
Troubles coping with a chronic health condition
Issues stemming from racial or cultural discrimination
Memory
Memory refers to the processes that are used to acquire, store, retain, and later retrieve information. There are three major processes involved in memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval.
Human memory involves the ability to both preserve and recover information we have learned or experienced. As we all know, however, this is not a flawless process. Sometimes we forget or misremember things. Sometimes things are not properly encoded in memory in the first place.
Memory problems can range from minor annoyances like forgetting where you left your car keys to major diseases, like Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia, that affect the quality of life and the ability to function.
The study of human memory has been a subject of science and philosophy for thousands of years and has become one of the major topics of interest within cognitive psychology.
How Memories Are Formed
In order to form new memories, information must be changed into a usable form, which occurs through the process known as encoding. Once the information has been successfully encoded, it must be stored in memory for later use.
Much of this stored memory lies outside of our awareness most of the time, except when we actually need to use it. The retrieval process allows us to bring stored memories into conscious awareness.
How Long Do Memories Last?
Some memories are very brief, just seconds long, and allow us to take in sensory information about the world around us.
Short-term memories are a bit longer and last about 20 to 30 seconds. These memories mostly consist of the information we are currently focusing on and thinking about.
Finally, some memories are capable of enduring much longer, lasting days, weeks, months, or even decades. Most of these long-term memories lie outside of our immediate awareness, but we can draw them into consciousness when they are needed.
Using Memory
To use the information that has been encoded into memory, it first has to be retrieved. There are many factors that can influence how memories are retrieved such as the type of information being used and the retrieval cues that are present.
Organizing Memory
The ability to access and retrieve information from long-term memory allows us to actually use these memories to make decisions, interact with others, and solve problems. But how is information organized in memory?
One way of thinking about memory organization is known as the semantic network model. This model suggests that certain triggers activate associated memories. A memory of a specific place might activate memories about related things that have occurred in that location. For example, thinking about a particular campus building might trigger memories of attending classes, studying, and socializing with peers.
Concentration
Concentration refers to the mental effort you direct toward whatever you're working on or learning at the moment. It's sometimes confused with attention span, but attention span refers to the length of time you can concentrate on something
Both attention span and concentration can vary for a number of reasons. Some people just have a harder time tuning out distractions. Age and lack of sleep can affect concentration.
Most people forget things more readily as they age, and decreased concentration can accompany memory loss. Head or brain injuries, such as concussion, as well as certain mental health conditions can also affect concentration.
It’s easy to become frustrated when you’re trying to concentrate but just can’t. This can lead to stress and irritation.
Tips to improve Concentration
Playing certain types of games can help you get better at concentrating. Try:
sudoku
crossword puzzles
chess
jigsaw puzzles
word searches or scrambles
memory games
Brain games may not be the only type of game that can help improve concentration. Newer research also suggests playing video games could help boost concentration.
Improve sleep
Sleep deprivation can easily disrupt concentration, not to mention other cognitive functions, such as memory and attention.
Make time for Exercise : Increased concentration is among the many benefits of regular exercise
Spend time in nature :
If you want to boost your concentration naturally, try to get outside every day, even for just 15 to 20 minutes. You might take a short walk through a park. Sitting in your garden or backyard can also help. Any natural environment has benefits.
Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness practices can offer multiple benefits. Improved concentration is only one of these.
Meditation doesn’t just mean sitting silently with your eyes closed. Yoga, deep breathing, and many other activities can help you meditate.
Take a break - When you return to work, don’t be surprised if you feel more focused, motivated, or even creative. Breaks can help boost these functions and more.
Listen to music
The foods you eat can affect cognitive functions like concentration and memory. Avoiding processed foods, too much sugar, and very greasy or fatty foods. Eat more fruits. Drink plenty of water.Staying hydrated can also have a positive impact on concentration. Even mild dehydration can make it harder to focus or remember information.
Some supplements may help promote better concentration and improved brain function.
Conditions that affect concentration
Trouble concentrating can relate to things going on around you. Common causes include interruptions from co-workers, distractions from your roommates or family members, or social media notifications.
But it’s also possible for concentration difficulties to relate to underlying mental or physical health conditions. Some common ones include:
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can create learning and memory challenges for both children and adults. It’s usually characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Treatment can help improve ADHD symptoms.
Cognitive dysfunction or impairment can affect concentration, memory, and learning. These issues can include developmental delays or disabilities, brain injuries, or neurological conditions that cause problems with brain function.
Untreated mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety primarily involve changes in mood and other emotional symptoms, but they can also make it hard to focus, concentrate, or learn and remember new information. You might also find it harder to concentrate on work or school when under a lot of stress.
Concussions and other head injuries can affect concentration and memory. This is usually temporary, but difficulties with concentration can linger while a concussion heals.
Farsightedness and other vision problems can cause problems with attention and concentration. If you (or your child) find it harder than usual to concentrate and also have headaches, or find yourself squinting, you may want to get your eyes checked.
Therapy, medication, and other treatment approaches can help improve your symptoms
Exam Stress and Study Tips
What does exam stress look like?
Some signs of stress include:
Feeling confused
Losing touch with friends
Feeling moody and low
Having trouble making decisions
Feeling overwhelmed
Lack of motivation to do anything
Trouble sleeping or getting out of bed
Tense muscles or headaches
Having an upset stomach or feeling sick
Why do people experience exam stress?
Worry they might fail
Don't feel prepared
Want to do really well
Don’t have much time to study
Need to get a certain result
Don’t think they will do well
Find it hard to understand what they’re studying
Feel pressure from family to get good marks
Feel they need to compete with others
Have other things happening in their life
Family therapy is a type of psychological counselling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts.
Family therapy: A type of psychotherapy designed to identify family patterns that contribute to a behaviour disorder or mental illness and help family members break those habits. Family therapy involves discussion and problem-solving sessions with the family.
Family therapy is often short term. It may include all family members or just those able or willing to participate. Your specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation. Family therapy sessions can teach you skills to deepen family connections and get through stressful times, even after you're done going to therapy sessions.
Family therapy can help you improve troubled relationships with your partner, children or other family members. You may address specific issues such as marital or financial problems, conflict between parents and children, or the impact of substance abuse or a mental illness on the entire family.
Your family may pursue family therapy along with other types of mental health treatment, especially if one of you has a mental illness or addiction that also requires additional therapy or rehabilitation treatment. For example:
Family therapy can help family members cope if a relative has a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia — but the person who has schizophrenia should continue with his or her individualized treatment plan, which may include medications, one-on-one therapy or other treatment.
In the case of addiction, the family can attend family therapy while the person who has an addiction participates in residential treatment. Sometimes the family may participate in family therapy even if the person with an addiction hasn't sought out his or her own treatment.
Family therapy can be useful in any family situation that causes stress, grief, anger or conflict. It can help you and your family members understand one another better and learn coping skills to bring you closer together.
Family therapy typically brings several family members together for therapy sessions. However, a family member may also see a family therapist individually.
Sessions typically take about 50 minutes to an hour. Family therapy is often short term — generally about 12 sessions. However, how often you meet and the number of sessions you'll need will depend on your family's particular situation and the therapist's recommendation.
During family therapy, you can:
Examine your family's ability to solve problems and express thoughts and emotions in a productive manner
Explore family roles, rules and behavior patterns to identify issues that contribute to conflict — and ways to work through these issues
Identify your family's strengths, such as caring for one another, and weaknesses, such as difficulty confiding in one another
Keeping your temper in check can be challenging. Use simple anger management tips — from taking a timeout to using "I" statements — to stay in control.
Do you fume when someone cuts you off in traffic? Does your blood pressure rocket when your child refuses to cooperate? Anger is a normal and even healthy emotion — but it's important to deal with it in a positive way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.
Ready to get your anger under control? Start by considering these 10 anger management tips.
In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same.
As soon as you're thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive but nonconfrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them.
Physical activity can help reduce stress that can cause you to become angry. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or spend some time doing other enjoyable physical activities.
Timeouts aren't just for kids. Give yourself short breaks during times of the day that tend to be stressful. A few moments of quiet time might help you feel better prepared to handle what's ahead without getting irritated or angry.
Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand. Does your child's messy room drive you crazy? Close the door. Is your partner late for dinner every night? Schedule meals later in the evening — or agree to eat on your own a few times a week. Remind yourself that anger won't fix anything and might only make it worse.
To avoid criticizing or placing blame — which might only increase tension — use "I" statements to describe the problem. Be respectful and specific. For example, say, "I'm upset that you left the table without offering to help with the dishes" instead of "You never do any housework."
Forgiveness is a powerful tool. If you allow anger and other negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. But if you can forgive someone who angered you, you might both learn from the situation and strengthen your relationship.
Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Use humor to help you face what's making you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic expectations you have for how things should go. Avoid sarcasm, though — it can hurt feelings and make things worse.
When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as "Take it easy." You might also listen to music, write in a journal or do a few yoga poses — whatever it takes to encourage relaxation.
Learning to control anger is a challenge for everyone at times. Seek help for anger issues if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do things you regret or hurts those around you.
Homesickness is the distress caused by being away from home. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home and attachment objects. Sufferers typically report a combination of depressive and anxious symptoms, withdrawn behavior and difficulty focusing on topics unrelated to home. Homesickness can be seen in children and adults. The affected person may be taking a short trip to a nearby place, such as summer camp, or the person may be taking a long trip or have moved to a different country.
In its mild form, homesickness prompts the development of coping skills and motivates healthy attachment behaviours, such as renewing contact with loved ones.Indeed, nearly all people miss something about home when they are away, making homesickness a nearly universal experience.However, intense homesickness can be painful and debilitating.
What does personality mean? It’s a collection of traits, behaviours and attitudes that define a person. The word personality comes from the Latin word persona which refers to a theatrical mask worn by performers for different roles.
Today, it means much more than that.
Personality development is investing in yourself, your qualities, and your growth.
Personality development is about building your capacities, nurturing your talent, enhancing new skill sets, working on your weaknesses, and transforming them into strengths.
You, as an individual, have unique skill sets. Your potential is multi-faceted, and investing in personality development enables you to harness your strengths. Focusing on individual personality development adds to your capabilities and helps your dreams and aspirations turn into a reality.
To be a more charismatic person, you have to develop your inner self as well as your outer self. The importance of personality development is undisputed in personal and professional life.
Take Rajesh, a lawyer who had a meteoric rise to the top of his firm. His colleagues always wondered how he managed to climb the success ladder so fast. But only his boss knew how hard he had worked to better himself. He had stepped out of his comfort zone to become a better version of himself. Rajesh had understood the importance of personality development.
There is no substitute for hard work when it comes to personality development. The sooner you understand it, the better for you. Think about how to develop personality, chalk out a plan, set a goal, and work towards it every day.
Let’s look at the reasons why it is important to develop one’s personality:
Personality development enables you to discover your qualities
It empowers you to make the right decisions and to choose wisely
It builds that one winning quality in you- confidence. Confident people are more equipped to succeed in the long run
It assists you in communicating clearly, convincingly, and precisely
Once you know how to develop personality, you will be seen as a leader by your peers and colleagues
Your personality is not static and unchangeable. You can develop it for the better. Play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses.
So are you ready to start creating a roadmap to becoming your best version? Here are some tips for personality development.
LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Come out of your shell and explore the world. A comfort zone is limiting. Staying in the comfort zone will make one miss out on the opportunity to try new things and discover themselves. The next time you meet a group of people, try engaging with them more. Introduce yourself to someone and have a conversation with them. Don’t stay in the corner or play with your phone. Interact with people.
MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Plan your time management strategy and make it stronger day by day. Begin your days right. Every morning take time out to read something inspirational. Chalk out what you are going to do that day. Keep in mind your larger goal and select activities accordingly.
Challenge yourself from time to time. Learn something new. Be creative. Do what you are passionate about. Take risks. Do not fear failure.
Remember the words of performance coach Dale Carnegie: “Today is life-the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.”
DEFINE YOUR AREA OF EXCELLENCE
Define what you want to excel in and develop relevant skill sets. Maximize your time, energy, and resources to achieve the desired result. Say you want to be a video jockey. Seek personality development tips from a successful VJ and work on your communication skills.
BE OPTIMISTIC
Learn to look at the future with positivity. Being optimistic will help you identify opportunities and work towards them. Optimistic people know how to see failures as setbacks. Even when there are challenges and setbacks, optimistic people work on finding a solution.
EVALUATE YOURSELF
Some people are extremely popular at work. You may wonder what their magic formula is for being constantly appreciated by their superiors. It’s not magic. They simply focus on following tips for personality development such as seeking feedback, correcting mistakes, helping people, and solving problems.
Self-evaluation at regular intervals helps improve one’s personality. Evaluate your skills and areas of improvement by asking yourself: Is your public speaking effective? Are your confidence levels high? Is your behavior pleasant and co-operative? Start observing yourself, make notes, and identify the qualities you need to acquire.
NETWORK
One of the best tips for personality development is to network. Networking has been made much easier by interactive and intelligent social media. So go ahead, create a network of dependable people who trust you, inspire you, lead you.
Meeting new people is helpful in many ways. It widens your horizons. You get a chance to observe the good qualities of several dynamic personalities and learn different ways to behave and interact.
READ A LOT
Reading Exercises the Brain. ...
Reading is a Form of Entertainment. ...
Reading Improves Concentration and the Ability to Focus. ...
Reading Improves Literacy. ...
Reading Improves Sleep. ...
Reading Increases General Knowledge. ...
Reading is Motivational. ...
Reading Reduces Stress.
IMPROVE YOUR BODY LANGUAGE
Many people think that communication is simply about what is being said and heard. This is not true. nonverbal communication through body language and expressions makes a huge impact on others. Many times people use nonverbal cues without realizing it. However, it is possible to consciously improve one’s use of body language.
Having the right kind of body language is an important part of your personality development. It helps people to perceive you in a better light. Ensure that your standing and sitting position is upright. Make eye contact while speaking.
It is true that factors such as heredity, family upbringing, peer group influencers, societal culture do play a role in shaping your personality. But with proper tips for personality development and sincere efforts, you can bring a holistic change in your personality.
Finding your signature voice is important. This process of self-grooming almost always turns out to be the most rewarding enterprise and enriching experience of your life.
Building your personal brand and giving your brand a vision is also important for personal growth and professional success. Learn how to do this from our experts. Now that you have read some personality development tips are you ready for the journey? We bet it will be delightful.