What is wellness counseling?
“Life is not merely being alive, but being well.”
Nutrition is an important aspect of mental health.
Wellness counseling is a holistic, mind-body-life approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. Wellness counseling views mental health from a place of overall health, not just merely the absence of disease, and considers how all areas of your life may influence your current concerns. One definition of wellness states that “wellness consists of a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being, in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community” (Ohrt, Clarke, & Conley, 2019). Good Therapy described wellness as an approach to “holistic medicine [that] addresses the entirety of a person’s lifestyle and attempts to uncover ways in which lifestyle, relationships, and environment contribute to issues.” The concept of health and wellness as it pertains to mental health is not new! Throughout history, different religions, cultures, and groups of people have incorporated wellness activities into rituals such as ceremonies and time in nature, spirituality, yoga, meditation, healthy eating, and other practices focused on the mind-body connection. By turning to a more holistic, wellness based approach we can begin to become more in touch with our inner and outer environments and intentionally cultivate change to create a more fulfilling, meaningful life rooted in wellness.
Traditional care, although somewhat starting to shift, focuses on treating symptoms, sickness, and dysfunction. This approach does not always seek to understand the root cause of mental or emotional discomfort nor does it always consider external factors that may be causing issues (i.e. work, home, relational areas of life, etc.). Wellness counseling is person-oriented rather than diagnosis/mental illness oriented. You are so much more than a mental health diagnosis. Although a diagnosis can help to structure the course of therapy and is required for insurance purposes, the human being is multi-faceted and one mental health diagnosis will not encompass the entirety of your unique situation, your experiences, or your path to wellness.
At a basic level, wellness counseling can address the following domains: spiritual (meaning/purpose, spirituality, religion), body (physical wellness, nutrition, exercise), affective (emotional, emotion regulation), mind (beliefs, thoughts/cognitions, intellectual stimulation), economic (job, money, basic needs), and social (family, connection, support, interpersonal relationships). Often when we make positive changes in one area of our lives, the others are also influenced in a positive direction. One example of this may be making choices to eat healthier, which in turn reduces anxiety and improves your energy levels, which may also boost your self confidence and desire/ability to make deeper connections! Everything is connected.
I love this approach to mental health counseling as it allows us to consider how physical, emotional, cognitive, social, economic, and spiritual aspects of your life are impacting your ability to change, grow, and thrive. Wellness counseling aims to help you assess these areas of your life, develop coping strategies/implement change, reduce stress, establish a sense of ease and creativity in your life, and then move towards thriving. By approaching counseling from a wellness perspective we can help you establish a greater sense of wellbeing, resiliency, and self-efficacy.
References:
Granello, P.F. (2013). Wellness counseling. Pearson.
Good Therapy (2015). https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/what-is-wellness
Ohrt, J. H., Clarke, P. B., & Conley, A. H. (2019). Wellness counseling: A holistic approach to prevention and intervention. American Counseling Association.
