Marcy Weiss, Ph.D., LCSW

Employee Assistance Manager

Many people have misconceptions about mental health counseling and how it works. Some people believe it just does not work. Others say you have to be seriously mentally ill to go for counseling, while others believe that simply talking to someone will not help. Some think they can fix their problems on their own or they worry that once they start counseling they will be going forever.

The truth is that everyone experiences stress or feelings of anxiety and depression at some time in their life. Studies prove that mental health interventions work by helping individuals learn how to cope with problems, situations and emotions by making positive behavioral changes.

Just as waiting to treat a toothache can lead to a more serious and painful medical problem, allowing emotional stress, anxiety, and depression to build up can lead to serious mental health issues.

Asking for professional help is a better approach than trying to fix it yourself. Talking to family, friends or a confidant can help, but ultimately, going to a trained mental health professional works best. That is because they can see your problems and situations from an objective and unbiased perspective and offer appropriate strategies and coping skills that you can implement right away.

Palm Beach County offers counseling to employees and youths through the Employee Assistance Program and Youth Services Department. Both are strictly confidential and available to provide therapeutic services to you and your family.