Q. I have a quick question that I’m hoping you can help me with. I am in the middle of making a potentially life changing career decision that will require me to go back to school and move from Saskatchewan, the only province I’ve ever lived in. I am trying to be practical and rational in making my decision, but it seems like everyone in my life has an opinion. It seems like some people are really encouraging me to go and others are trying to discourage me because they think it’s a bad idea. I’m just wondering if this is the sort of thing you can help me with in counselling? I’ve never been to counselling before and I’m not sure if this is something worth meeting with a counsellor about. Will a counsellor tell me what I should do? How would a counsellor help me through this?
-Ryan
A. This is absolutely the sort of thing a counsellor could help you with. It sounds like you’ve done what most people do when considering a change, in that you’ve surveyed friends and family and have taken their opinions into consideration, which has in turn resulted in some confusion and mixed feelings for you.
Consulting with friends and family, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however it can create confusion for you and difficulty in making the best decision for yourself. Your family and friends are undoubtedly biased when giving their opinion (which is normal…they are expressing care and concern…with their own agenda and perspective of course). The benefit of speaking to a counsellor when making a major life decision is that you will have a neutral, educated, informed third party with whom to discuss your choices. A counsellor will not tell you what to do, but will rather ask the relevant questions to have you come to a decision that you feel confident about. A counsellor will work with you to clarify your goals, pros and cons of each choice, and will assist you in examining every angle as objectively as possible so that you can make the decision that is best for you. Chances are you will only need a session or two with a counsellor before you feel confident making a decision for yourself. I hope this helps. Feel free to give us a call to book a session with one of our skilled counsellors.
Elizabeth Smith, BA, BSW, RSW
Director of Clinical Services