People have so many different ideas as to what counselling is about, what it is like, and who it is for. I get comments from many different people who seem to suggest that counselling is really for those people who are experiencing a crisis or are not managing life well. They seem to suggest that you would only go for counselling when you really “need” counselling. The problem with this outlook is that it suggests stigma and shame associated with what it means to go for counselling. From my perspective, the people I see as clients are amazing. They are courageous, open minded, and striving to become their best selves. They are authentic, real, and I respect them so much as they look at making changes in their lives that will enhance their lives.
In other words, these people who “do counselling” are not lesser, but greater for it. They don’t want to continue going down the average path. They strive for more. So, why do High Achievers do counselling? Here are a few of the top reasons.
High Achievers Do Counselling to Become More Organized and Effective. Just like any workplace or organization, they more organized a workplace is, the more effective and efficient they are at accomplishing what they want to accomplish. This is so true in a person’s life as well. When your thoughts are disorganized, it can impact your choices and impact your life negatively. A High Achiever’s business always works to become organized. So, they use counselling to enhance their thinking and decision-making process.
High Achievers Do Counselling To Get Support, Build Resources, and Enhance Skills. Any professional in any field knows that professional development is essential if they are going to work long term in their industry. Those who do not do professional development tend to lose their “cutting edge” ability to be innovative. They tend to get into a rut regarding their thinking or how they work. So, many professionals do counselling to refine the way they work, the way they see the world, and to enhance their personal lives. They see counselling as an opportunity to have a devoted person who is completely “in their court” and who can not only give support but also build the person’s personal and professional resources and skills.
High Achievers Do Counselling To Increase Their Self-Awareness. Self-awareness is a sought-after commodity these days. We have all had a boss who would regularly lose their temper. Even more problematic is the boss who is aware they tend to “blow up” but does not understand why. High Achievers look inside themselves. They use counselling to understand their relationship with themselves, and to improve their relationship with themselves. They more one understands themselves and builds a positive relationship with themselves, the better their relationship will be with others. Counselling greatly increases self-awareness and is key to enhancing your relationship with yourself.
High Achievers Do Counselling to Enhance Resiliency. Let’s admit it – life can be very difficult at times. Life can through us a “curve ball” and to pretend that the curve ball did not have an impact on us is like pretending we to not hurt when we accidentally use a hammer on our thumb. Of course, it hurts. Our body has pain receptors in our thumb that communicate with our brain the amount of screaming pain we are in. However, if we then squeeze our thumb, the pain diminishes, and we recover faster. Why? Because there are pressure sensors in our thumb and when we gently squeeze our thumb, it helps to partially block the pain receptors from continuing to communicate pain. Resiliency is that ability to “bounce back” and recover from adversity. High Achievers use counselling to enhance their own recovery process. They see counselling as a tool to become more resilient so that when the curve ball happens in their own life, they are more capable to bounce back.
High Achievers Do Counselling To Enhance Their Motivation. Many times, we can know what we need to do, but we lack the motivation. We may want to bring positive change into our lives, but we struggle with the motivation to do it. High Achievers use counselling to find different ways to approach change. There are many specific processes in counselling that can enhance the motivation for changing what you want to change in your life. Ambivalence or reluctance to make change in our lives is normal. We might say we want change, but we may lack to ability to get there. A good counsellor can greatly enhance your motivation to become who it is you really want to be.
High Achievers Do Counselling To Invest in Themselves. Yes, many times the saying, “you get what you pay for” is true, but we don’t normally apply it to our hearts and minds. We might invest in our clothing, in our education or training, and in our physical heath, but High Achievers invest in their mental health. They know that good mental and emotional health is just as important as good physical health. They invest time, money, and energy into their physical fitness. Likewise, they also invest in their mental fitness. Doing so increases their resourcefulness, their meaning within their lives, and their overall sense of wellbeing. Ultimately, they invest in themselves to feel more in control of their lives and to create the life they want.
So, I have been privileged to work with many High Achievers. It is always such an honour to be a part of their journey, their process, and their growth. Their courage, drive, and resiliency inspire me. If you can, find someone who has had a great experience in counselling and ask them why it was valuable to them. It might inspire you to invest in yourself to become the person you really want to be and to move closer towards the life you want to live.
Prove Your Truth! - 
If their car engine light was on, they would take it in to be checked out fairly quickly. However, when it comes to their emotional struggles, relationship difficulties, or work stress, they ignore the "engine light" for weeks, months, and even years. Only when the engine of their relationship is about to fall out, do they then decide to invest in the addressing the issue - which is really an investment in themselves and in their relationship.
