What is psychological counseling

Psychological counseling is a psychological intervention method that uses professional communication skills to help individuals relieve psychological stress, regulate emotions, and improve cognitive biases. It is commonly used to deal with psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and interpersonal conflicts.

1. Listening and Empathy

The foundation of psychological counseling is to establish a trusting relationship, where professionals actively listen and empathize to understand the feelings of visitors. Using open-ended questioning and emotional response techniques to help individuals release suppressed emotions, such as replacing "why did you do it" with "how did you feel at the time. This non evaluative attitude can reduce psychological defense and promote self exposure.

2. Cognitive Reconstruction

works on irrational beliefs, identifying distorted cognition in automated thinking such as catastrophizing and biased generalization. Guiding individuals to examine evidence through Socratic questioning, such as exploring the belief in 'I am a complete failure' by asking 'what facts support this viewpoint'. Gradually establish more adaptable alternative thinking.

3. Emotional regulation

teaches specific emotional management techniques, such as mindfulness breathing to help alleviate acute anxiety and guide physical relaxation training to reduce physiological arousal. For depressive emotions, behavioral activation techniques can be used to break the avoidance cycle by developing graded activity plans. Emotional diaries help identify triggering factors and response patterns.

4. Problem solving

conducts structured analysis on real-world challenges, transforming fuzzy stressors into actionable problems. Use brainstorming to generate solutions, evaluate the pros and cons of each option, and develop a step-by-step plan. When it comes to interpersonal conflicts, train nonviolent communication skills and emphasize expressing needs rather than blaming.

5. Resource Enhancement [SEP]: Explore individual internal strengths and social support systems, and review past successful coping experiences through lifeline technology. Establish a response card to record positive self dialogue and identify a network of available family and friends resources. For those who have experienced trauma, emphasis should be placed on rebuilding a sense of security and control.

Psychological counseling should pay attention to maintaining boundaries and avoiding alternative decisions. Regular exercise can be used to maintain endorphin levels in daily life, and 15 minutes of mindfulness practice can enhance emotional awareness, establishing a multi-dimensional stress buffering system that includes reading, socializing, and more. When the self-regulation effect is limited or there is sustained functional impairment, timely referral to clinical psychotherapy should be made. Parents need to pay special attention to the emotional and behavioral changes of adolescents and provide a supportive environment through non critical dialogue.