Should I recommend a Counsellor or a Coach to my peers?

Week 3, 2023

1 in 5 Indians needs mental health counselling as per a report published by the Times of India.

This doesn't mean you are suffering from a mental health disorder or a life crisis.

But many people are. What if you had to recommend it to a family member?

Who is a counsellor and who is a coach? How do we decide?

Wait Wait.

You don't need to go for a costly leadership program or a yoga session to know this.

In this edition of the February newsletter, let's find this out off the matt.

Despite being hailed as the largest economy and having more than 65% of her population below 35, India doesn't seem to be happy anytime.

From politics to finance. From culture to family. We seem to have dissent with almost everything that is Indian. Even our own selves sometimes.

This is where the tussle starts.

I believe most of us are conditioned to live life without finding+pursuing our true purpose.

Someone wanted to be a singer

Someone wanted to be a dancer

Someone wanted to be a journalist

But ultimately ended up in STEM or Finance…?

In the case of people like us who come from small towns, it is mostly affected by 2 reasons

1. Our financial status and family pressure

2. What everyone else in the city thought was great, and social pressure

Either it is our dad’s wish or what we saw the seniors of the town do.

Well, these are valid reasons.

If you end up finding & following your passion, you become SRK or an unknown dreamer like me. A far better option is to go for a professional degree and achieve INR 20-30LPA to begin life.

Moreover, as young individuals, we aren't accustomed to critical thinking, SWOT analysis and risk-taking abilities.

We haven't really learnt the tools that uncover our inner selves. Activities that make us find the inner compass.

Imagine a 16-year-old, having the strength and ability to take risks at a young age.

Telling his Father, “Hey Papa, I want to design a drone”

At max, he might say “Hey Dad, I am good at Maths, I will take PCM”

We become subject-oriented instead of action-oriented.

If the kid got high marks in Maths - his parents think he will study PCM & become an engineer. But what if the kid was supposed to be a good musician who used his math skills to calculate the notes of music/waves?

This is where Counsellors and Coaches come in.

Here is the main difference you need to know

Counselling is finding out what suits you, irrespective of the counsellor's advice.

Coaching is helping you achieve what you have decided to do already.

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Counsellor helps you find your true nature or identify an issue.

Coach is a subject matter expert who enhances you or cures an issue.

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For e.g when I was career counselled, I did not receive guidance or opinions, I received neutral answers about myself that what is my personality type, and what type of skills I possess. It was based on a few psychology tests.

But when I got coaching, I was mentored about a particular career path or job role based on what I wanted to achieve. It was more about sticking to it and training myself for a fixed goal.

IMO, everyone in this world should get counselled, because that helps us understand ourselves so much more than the social condition.?

We may even stop hurting ourselves and others - if we know why are we existing.?

So, if you are not affected by any issue or ailment or shortcoming, you can still go to a counsellor to understand your personality better.

If you have to recommend someone, first tell them to try counsellors.

Once there is clarity on the issue, then a coach can come in to optimize growth.

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TOI Source

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/one-in-five-indians-needs-mental-health-counselling-reveals-govt-statistics/articleshow/16747494.cms

Hope this edition of the newsletter sparks a new thought in you. Share with someone who is going through the same journey. I intend to keep writing about wellness for young adults & professionals I request you let me know if this is helpful and needed.

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Extra:

Hey.

This is a market survey form on the Mental Health and Career needs of young India. We really want to have genuine data about what the youth is facing.

Can you please be a part of this survey & share your views? It takes 60 seconds max.