Why Counseling Works

Counseling can benefit individuals in an abundance of ways*, which could include:

• Development in emotional intelligence

• Development in communication skills

• Healthy responses to loss and grief

• Empowerment in diversity and identity

• Advocacy of mental health services from a multicultural perspective

  • Structural inequities means that racial and ethnic minorities are particularly at risk of not being able to access mental health care. Reinert et al. (2021) found that youth of color with major depression were particularly less likely to receive mental health treatment than their white peers. For instance, 22.0% of White youth reported seeing a health professional in the past year for depression, compared to 8.3% of Asian youth, 9.4% of Black youth, 9.5% of Hispanic youth, and 15.2% of Native American youth (Reinert et al., 2021). (Hartley & Tarvydas, 2023)

• Empowerment towards autonomous decision-making

• Methods of self-reflection to accelerate one's passions and ambitions

*Receiving counseling services may also provide consequences that may be negatively perceived by the client receiving services. Please consult with your mental health provider to discuss potential consequences of receiving counseling services. This is typically discussed during the first session as part of the Therapeutic Informed Consent (TIC).