There are times that we feel all alone as if the world has turned its back on us, times that we could no longer see the path of success and development. Having these feelings is genuinely saddening that we tend to become depressed. An outpouring of negative thoughts continues to take in. Our ability to think with reasoning becomes paralyzed, our mind becomes preoccupied with unwanted and unimportant things that are causing anxiety to occur and lose our focus at the end. This is how our mind becomes distressed when there are some issues in life that we did not see coming thus making us blinded by negative thoughts. Dealing with this kind of emotional struggle is genuinely a difficult one. Our focus becomes distracted during this trying time; hence, it is difficult for us to identify what should come first because of so many things that have filled our mind.
Randy Withers, LPC, once wrote in his blog, “Many people experience symptoms of depression at some point in their lives, but the difference between feeling a little depressed and having major depression is the difference between a firecracker and a nuclear bomb.”
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The Power of TWO
It is indeed frustrating to feel everything all at once as if our mind could no longer decipher what emotion should it take in. Moreover, the only way to resolve this dilemma is to clear off the mind to have a clear view of everything. By clearing off means, calming the mind to process thoughts accordingly and this could be done through meditation.
Meditation is a technique that aims to calm the mind and find an inner peace that allows a person to understand and form a connection with the internal self. Through meditation, we can find out ways on how to change our pessimistic thoughts into definite ideas and enhance focus and awareness on ourselves that will make us a reason and choose wiser decisions in life. However, Laura Schenck, LPC, believes that most of how you feel depends on how you see yourself. “When we are engaged in meditation or self-reflection,” she says, “the object of our observation is the self. What you will see within yourself depends on how you look. The attitude and state of mind that you bring with you into your mindfulness meditation practice directly affect the degree to which you will benefit.”
It also helps regulate our moods and emotions to avoid overwhelming stress. Meditation teaches us to remain calm as it silences our fears, shuts down our anxiety, stimulates our inner peace and notices our potentials.
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On the other hand, counseling entails the process of exploring ways to resolve emotional issues, by venting out what you feel, your counselor or therapist can help you discover the cause of conflicts and assist in finding solutions to address them. Counseling will enable you to focus on feelings, the familiarity of actions, with a goal of achieving positive change.
Understanding the positive effects of both meditation and counseling denote a powerful potential approach to dealing with mental health issues. Using meditation during counseling can have a positive outcome in identifying ways on how to deal with present emotional problems.
Meditation and Counseling: The Best of Both Worlds
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Nowadays, one can access online services for meditation and counseling or both. You can choose from a variety of pre-packaged services, and the duration of the therapy at your own convenience. Some may have doubts about the effectiveness of this approach because of the lack of real or live human interaction. There may be a digital recorded therapist assisting you along the way, but the face-to-face encounter is more powerful compared to the latter method. While other folks may raise eyebrows, some are also voicing their positive comments and acceptance of the therapy. One reason they see beneficial is they are comfortable with having online counseling and meditating on their way due to personal and confidentiality concerns.
This may not be the best strategy for you; however, our advice is you can always try and experience the whole thing on your own. This article has provided you information on the benefits of both psychological interventions, and the manner in how it is delivered. It is now up to you to choose the best approach that will work for you best.
“Through mindfulness meditation, you are trying to achieve a mind that is stable and calm, and with practice, you will be developing and strengthening your mind in becoming calm without struggling.” – Robert Poynter, LPC.