No matter how well you plan for it, life has a way of surprising you. And that can be especially difficult for people who live with persistent and debilitating mental health challenges.
Coping with life transitions, big or small, is never easy. Moving to a new house, changing cities, changing jobs, the birth of a child, the start of a new relationship, the end of an old one, the death of someone you love, retirement, growing up, growing older… all of these things have the potential to cause uncertainty and stress. But for someone living with severe mental health challenges, life changes like these are not only hard. They’re paralysing.
The good news is that making counselling part of your NDIS plan can really make a difference!
Here are 5 effective ways that your Anglicare NDIS counselling can help you navigate and cope with periods of transition and change:
1. NDIS counselling can help you assess your situation and understand your concerns.
Big life transitions often equal big change. And your NDIS counsellor is the perfect person to help you navigate it! Counselling provides a safe place for you to discuss your concerns and discover any obstacles that are stopping you from moving forward. Your counsellor is there to help you adapt to any new changes thrown your way. And when you’re ready, your NDIS counsellor can also help you to uncover positive opportunities that may come from this period of transition in your life.
2. NDIS counselling will help you plan.
Making progress requires more than making choices. To reach your destination, you need a good plan. That’s where NDIS counselling comes in. Whether you need to let go of old dreams or find your way to new ones, a trained counsellor can help you to set goals and then break them down into achievable steps… a roadmap for your future. This will help give you the confidence you need make decisions, process changes, and then start moving forward.
3. NDIS counselling will help you acknowledge your grief.
Grief is a normal reaction to loss. Sometimes, grief is obvious and looked for – after the death of a friend or loved one, for instance. At other times, however, grief may be a little harder to spot.
When you have debilitating mental health issues, grief could be something you live with every day. Though you might not realise it, you could be experiencing grief for the life you once had, grief for dreams that illness has caused you to set aside, or grief for changed or damaged relationships. NDIS counselling will help you to discover any grief you might be feeling, so you can begin to work through it.
4. NDIS counselling can teach you strategies for managing the stress you’re feeling.
In addition to helping you to identify and process the causes of your anxiety and stress, a trained counsellor can also help you manage the symptoms. There are many practical methods and tools for helping you cope with life transitions and changes. Your NDIS counsellor is here to help you discover the techniques that work best for you.
5. NDIS counselling can help you be more forgiving of yourself.
It’s important to remember that everything is harder when you’re struggling with mental health challenges. Even things that you may have once been able to do without a second thought.
When this is your daily reality, it’s easy to feel frustrated or give yourself a hard time. But your NDIS counsellor is in your corner, ready to celebrate your wins and encourage you to do the same.
Sometimes, the key to coping with that change is about renegotiating the expectations you put on yourself.
Life changes can be overwhelming and hard to navigate. But you don’t have to go through them alone. Anglicare NDIS counselling can help. If you’d like to find out more about making counselling a part of your NDIS plan, get in touch with our expert team today!