Why was counseling hated in the past?

Answer 1

There are a number of reasons that counseling was (and sometimes still is) looked at negatively. Usually it has to do with certain beliefs:

1. "Receiving counseling is a sign of weakness."
2. "People who go to counseling are crazy."
3. "Everyone will find out what I talk about."
4. "I wouldn't even know what to talk about."
5. "I can't afford to pay for counseling."
6. "I can always talk to a friend."
7. "I don't believe just talking can do any good."
8. "I'm betraying my family."
9. "If I talk about my problems, I'll just make them worse, or completely fall apart."
10. "Counseling can get in the way of being accepted to programs or by employers."

Most of these are false, but it doesn't change the way society sees counseling. People often think that counseling does equal weakness or mental illness, and as a society we look down on people that can't cope. The thing that most people don't realize is that we *all* have times that we can't cope, and it isn't weak at all to seek help rather than dealing with problems in a self-destructive way.