Wellness counsellors take a holistic approach and provide clients with strategies and techniques for improving physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental wellness. Each one of these areas is essential in a client’s journey to achieving overall fulfillment. Mental Wellness then, is an essential part of overall wellbeing.
Read on to learn about three mental wellness concepts you’ll learn to use during your wellness counsellor training.
Learn About Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as You Train to Become a Wellness Counsellor
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a powerful type of psychosocial therapy. It is designed to improve mental wellness by helping clients deal with problems in five main areas; situations, thoughts, emotions, actions, and physical feelings (NHS, 2017). As you become a wellness counsellor, you will work collaboratively with your clients to assist them to identify negative situations in their life. Then, you will guide your clients through the process of becoming aware of their attitudes towards these issues. You will work together to identify negative thinking patterns that could be harmful, and work to correct and reshape the way your clients think about the challenges in their life (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017).
CBT improves your clients’ mental wellness by promoting healthy thought patterns. With the help of CBT your clients will gain the ability to look at negative situations with an improved attitude. This will benefit your clients as they gain the skills they need to tackle challenges with a healthy, positive outlook (Martin, 2016).
Cognitive behavioural therapy helps improve a client’s attitude towards negative life events
Students Completing Wellness Counselling Training Learn to Use Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy that you will learn as you work towards your diploma in wellness counselling. Many individuals, especially those with borderline personality disorders, depression, or bipolar disorder, struggle with controlling their reactions to frustrating, sad, or overwhelming scenarios.
Using DBT, wellness counsellors teach their clients valuable skills and techniques for managing their mental and emotional state. DBT is based on four main modules: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. Working together, wellness counsellors teach their clients how to control emotions in a healthy way and respond to stressors in a more appropriate manner. In addition, clients learn the importance of accepting and embracing their emotions (Psych Central Staff, 2017).
Dialectical behavioural therapy is important for mental and emotional wellness
Students Earning Their Diploma in Wellness Counselling Learn and practice Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy (NT) is a powerful technique used by wellness counsellors to help clients alter their perception of their own life story. Counsellors use NT to help their clients recognize their strengths, skills, and personality traits in order to help them succeed in life, even through challenges.
Through the process of NT, clients review past life events and look for a “story” or theme. The client then removes themself from the problem and examines it more objectively. With this objective perspective, clients can take a more compassionate view of themselves. NT helps clients externalize their problems and gain a new, more positive perspective (GoodTherapy.Org, 2015). Through NT, clients are able to redefine their life story – leading to greater mental wellness.
Do you want to enroll in a wellness counselling program in Vancouver?
Contact Rhodes Wellness College to learn more about our programs.
Works Cited
GoodTherapy.Org. (2015, July 12). Narrative Therapy. Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/narrative-therapy
Martin, B. (2016, July 17). In-Depth: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/lib/in-depth-cognitive-behavioral-therapy/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Cognitive behavioral therapy. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/details/why-its-done/icc-20186903
NHS. (2017, July 15). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – How it works . Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cognitive-behavioural-therapy/Pages/How-does-it-work.aspx
Psych Central Staff. (2017). An Overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy/
