Basically subject. Counselors are there to be paid to listen to all the embarrassing/relationship damaging thoughts and feelings that your “real” friends ought to bear, but didn’t want to.
Basically subject. Counselors are there to be paid to listen to all the embarrassing/relationship damaging thoughts and feelings that your “real” friends ought to bear, but didn’t want to.
No, they’re there to help you process these thoughts and memories in a more productive way. Counseling isn’t a replacement for friends, they’re more a replacement for clear-headedness and introspective intellectual prowess. If you could think clearly and productively, you wouldn’t really need friends to discuss and process things, right?
Then what are friends for? Empty validation? Meaningless commiseration? I would say no, real friends are invested in your success. They care deeply and want the best for you. They’re your confidant, your wing man.
Counselors are surrogates. Offering their own experience as advice and perspective. They’re a paid replacement for someone who cares and is invested - while in fact they say they’re not invested.
Who needs a wall to talk to? No, we want perspective and concern for our own triviality. What does the counselor do that’s superior to a caring and concerned friend willing to explore your feelings with you in partnership?
It isn’t about black and white determination of thinking clearly and productively. Those are both highly subjective valuations. Who owns the book of right and wrong in all things?
Opinions are like assholes
You don’t have to “know” the “fundamental truths” to the universe to see comparatively clearer and deeper, and to have a set of beliefs and worldview that allow you to handle life better than others (you can’t, actually, remember why Socrates was so wise!).
Friends and relationships in general are something else and, at least IMO, the most important and fulfilling part of life. People do act as mirrors and will also provide you with different POVs which could help you make better decisions, and their support and care will allow you to more easily get through hardship, but these POVs are not necessarily more realistic and productive than yours. Basically, people around you could love you to the best of their abilities and still be too confused and ignorant to help you mentally deal with life (and a competent therapist comes in handy in this situation).
Also, the counselor should care about your wellbeing the same way a medical doctor would, because of basic human empathy (and perhaps little bit of pride and work ethic), and not the way your mom or bff would. And that’s enough, anything more would probably feel fake and also be very draining for the mental health professional.