Counseling in Chicago for Feeling Stuck

By: 2SC Staff

Are you feeling stuck right now – as if someone put your gears in neutral? If so, you are not alone. At some point in time, all of us reach a place where we feel we feel we aren’t making movement towards our long held dreams. This is particularly true for folks who are contemplating a major life transition but feel overwhelmed about where to start.

One of the primary reasons people contact the Chicago therapists at 2^nd Story Counseling is to gain a fresh perspective on where they are in life. As part of the process, our counselors typically help the client assess their specific life goals and then move about the business of assisting the individual reach a place of positive change.

What follows are 5 ways counseling can help you to gain a new perspective of what’s going on in your life. We’ve tried to keep as much clinical jargon out of the material and cut right to the chase.

Are you ready? Let’s jump right in!

1) Objective Ear

When you work with a counselor, you are giving yourself the ability to share what’s happening in your life with a person who will be neutral and objective. The benefits of counseling under this point include:

Assistance with clarify
The chance to hear your thoughts out loud
An opportunity to cathartically purge toxic feelings through talk therapy.

2) Identify Irrational Thoughts

All of us engage in irrational thinking from time to time. It’s part of our human condition. Sometimes however, our thoughts can act as barriers to creating change we know we need to make. The benefits of counseling under this point include:

The ability to erase faulty links between thoughts and actions (or inaction).
A safe environment to challenge irrational fears.
Assistance with replacing negative thoughts with something more affirming using cognitive behavioral therapies.

3) Assess Your Relationships

Most people who seek out the guidance of a professional counselor want to explore issues related to their relationships. Here, we are talking about significant others, family members and friends. Benefits of counseling under this point include:

Objective gateway to assess if you are ready for a romantic relationship.
Identify the positive relationships in your life that are nurturing.
The ability to develop coping strategies for toxic relationships that rob you of vitality and energy.

4) Encourage Living in the Now

If you feel that one of the reasons you are stuck is because of events from your past, you are not alone. Many people have shared with our counselors that traumatic events from earlier in life have caused them to get caught in neutral. Here some of the benefits of counseling under this point:

The ability to process past trauma in a warm, safe and affirming environment.
Assess for possible Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Identify new strategies for living in the now.

5) Accountability Partner

Many people who are feeling stuck often lack someone in their life that they can remain accountable to for their future goals. Let’s face it – sometimes friends and family are not always the best people for this role. Here are several benefits of counseling (and coaching) under this area.

A pathway to helping you set up small goals towards the attainment of larger goals.
Someone to help you assess what’s working with your plans for the future and what might need fine tuning.
Someone to gently coach you to the place of change that you have been hoping for.

Final Thoughts

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about working with a counselor (aka therapist) is that they are somehow “flawed” or even “crazy”. To be real with you, that’s nothing more than long-standing stereotypes about therapy.

In truth, counseling is really just a place for you to explore your thoughts and feelings with a person who is trained to help guide you towards places you want to go.

And that’s how you get unstuck – through sharing what’s going on inside of you and clarifying what it all means. There’s no hocus pocus – no magic.

Our motto here at 2SC is every life has a second story. That means your life too!

If you are looking for guidance to help you get unstuck, please fill out our confidential contact form or give us a call at 773.528.1777.