Top 5 Myths About Counseling in Belize

One of our therapy room

Counseling and therapy are now becoming a buzzword over the few years, yet you are probably still not really sure what it’s all about.

You have realized that you need support to help you with what you are dealing with but you’ve only seen counseling and therapy sessions on tv.

Let’s talk about the top myths and what is accurate and what is not.

Therapists are simply just a friend you pay to listen to you complain.

Therapy is more than just listening to you. Listening is only the beginning so that your therapist can understand what you have experienced and know where you want to be. We want to hear all that you have to say. You are not complaining, you are expressing your hurt, and your confusion. Once we understand your hurt and or confusion, we will provide you with our plan to make the changes that you want. We will be with you through the entire process.

Counseling is something rich privileged people do for their whole lives.

This one always cracks me up as if only reach people have challenges they face. Truth be told, we probably have all dealt with something that impacts us negatively. You are worthy and deserving. You deserve to live your best life. If you are managing or barely managing right now, imagine what it will be like working with a trauma therapist or anxiety therapist that will teach you how you can overcome it without constantly requiring you to shut down your emotions. That’s what counseling gives you an opportunity to do, live the life you choose. There are free counseling services here in Belize as well as private services. You have options.

Therapy will last for years.

Therapy can last for years but it doesn’t have to. It all depends on your need. However, know that your therapist’s aim is to help you reach your goal so that you don’t need to depend on therapy. Sessions can be as short as 8 weeks or 6 to 9 months depending on goals. I do have clients that are in session for years but that’s because they have complex cases. Also, some people start sessions and then return a year or two later to work on something different. Length of therapy is based on your needs and you have a say in how long you want to be in therapy.

Your therapist is just doing this for the money.

Therapists invest a lot of years to master the skills and continuously invest in themselves to be with the latest research so that they get the best. When you pay for a 50-minute session, you are not paying the therapist to just listen; You are investing in yourself so that you build on your skills and heal from things that kept you in a loop. Your therapist has learned to do that in 50-minute increments.

You shouldn’t expect to see real changes from going to therapy

Therapy is life-changing. One of the things we do in the first appointment is to identify behavioral changes that you will notice when therapy starts working for you. We plan for change from the first appointment and we have different intervals that we check and see what progress is being made.

You might end up dating your therapist

You will never date your therapist. Therapists, counselors, and psychologists are bound by our ethics code to not enter into an intimate relationship with clients. The purpose of this is so that they don’t abuse their power of working with you when you are the most vulnerable.

I hope this helps you find the right therapist in Belize. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call us at 636-0823 for a free 15-minute phone consultation with our Client Care Coordinator to understand our process. we’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with childhood trauma counseling, or anxiety, you can read more about how we can help here.