When you think of health and wellness, what comes to mind? So often people think of physical health, from weight to fitness levels, from diet to exercise. And this is definitely an important part of our wellness. When our bodies don’t feel healthy, it is often pretty clear that there is an issue. However, we often forget to include other areas of health and wellness, and appreciate how important each of these areas are to our overall wellbeing.
In my practice, I include many different aspects of wellness, and encourage clients to explore as many of these as they feel is helpful. These areas include: physical (our bodies), emotional (our emotions and reactions), mental (our thoughts), spiritual (our faith, OR the way we find meaning in life), cultural (our connection to our cultural roots), relational (our relationships with others), environmental/vocational (our homes, schools and/or workplace), and sexual (sexuality and gender).
It might seem overwhelming to have so many areas of wellness, and it can be at times. Typically, however, I find that by enhancing one of these areas, it improves our overall feelings of wellness, as well as other areas. For example, someone who finds the means to cope better with a chronic illness (physical health) may lead to calmer emotions, less judgmental thoughts, better quality relationships with others or their higher power, or even an increased ability to feel like part of their community (cultural health).
Health and Wellness looks different to each of us, and the areas we struggle in are as unique as our fingerprints. For some it may be struggling to make those lifestyle choices to manage a chronic illness, such as diabetes, or a struggle to follow through with suggestions a healthcare professional has suggested, such as diet changes, exercise, or stress reduction. Others may struggle with feeling disconnected in some way, such as with others in their lives or their culture or faith. Emotional and mental health issues are one of the most common reasons people seek counselling, for reasons such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, etc.
If one area of wellness is out of balance, it can have a negative impact on other areas. After all, we are whole beings, and cannot be separated into parts, like a person might slice a pizza. It makes sense that each of these areas overlaps.
With this perspective of health and wellness, I work with clients to identify areas they wish to improve or work on, and we tailor their therapy to the goals they choose. I believe wellness looks different to each of us, and one of the most important aspects of wellness therapy is for clients to make the choices that fit best for them. We work as a team to navigate the journey, with you choosing the goals, and me supporting you to achieve those goals. Each of us knows what works and what doesn’t, what feels right and what doesn’t, what we want and what we don’t. Health and wellness therapy empowers clients to have space to explore, define, and decide what these are.
If you have any questions about health and wellness counselling, or whether it might be helpful for you, feel free to reach out. I also provide free 30-minute telephone consultations for new clients to discuss what that process might look like, and to get an idea if it is a good fit for you.
