BENEFITS OF COUNSELLING

Many individuals, largely due to our cultural beliefs have cast aspersions on counselling. In addition, a study by Pheko and others highlighted that limited knowledge about the benefits of psychotherapy and counselling is a deterrent for people to seek psychological help and counselling. There are many myths as regards to counselling which are also not helping the situation. It must however be noted that, counselling and psychotherapy are hugely beneficial to those that undergo it.

We have in the past been accustomed to the notion that brain cells are often degenerated and often do not easily replenish. It is worth mentioning though that counselling and/or psychotherapy through a process known as neurogenesis aids in regeneration of neurons in the brain.

According to an article by a team of researchers led by Ivey, counselling helps slow brain degeneration as well as in building new brain networks; highlighting how key counselling is to brain health.

During the counselling process, the particular tenets of active listening, empathetic understanding make a significant part of the process.

It is these hallmarks of counselling that are indispensable to brain regeneration; how does that happen? This comes on the backdrop that social interaction between client and therapist stimulate the release of a chemical called dopamine which increases motivation. The genuineness by the therapist have a lasting impact on the client’s mind which stimulate brain changes.

There are several approaches to counselling with the strength based approach being one of them. It needs to be highlighted that if client’s strengths are explored in therapy it augurs well for a positive outcome.

When a client observes the strengths being explored by the therapist, there is stimulation of mirror neurons in the client which can result in the negative emotions being dealt with. As argued by John. J. Ratey, “experiences, thoughts, actions and emotions actually change the structure of our brains.”

The counselling process by nature aims to promote client’s independence and ability to make own choices. When a client is involved in decision making, research has shown that it is a fertile ground to enhance motivation by igniting brain activity in the part of the brain known as “caudate nucleus.”

To those that denounce counselling, think twice in view of the immense neurological benefits that adds to the social and psychological benefits that we are so much used to! There is clear evidence of the link between neurobiology and talking therapies which affirms their effectiveness.