We hear so much about Mental Illness on a regular basis. That is one of those terms that is frequently thrown around. Actually, I don’t care for the term at all. Who wants to be told they have a Mental Illness? I doubt many do.
I come from the perspective of Mental Health. Instead of concentrating on illness or problems, I help my clients focus on the positives. Just think, if a therapist focuses on the symptoms of Mental Illness, most of the time and energy is spent discussing the problem, which is demotivating.
When the focus is on Mental Health, the time and energy is spent on being healthy. Everyone has good things about their Mental Health. I want to help my clients to build on what they already have.
If you look at the term Mental Illness, it implies that there is a biological basis, which is causing a mental problem. Although some people do have a biological basis for their problems, well over half of my clients do not have any biologically based problems. Anyone’s Mental Health can suffer due to problems with family, work, friends, and other stressors. Therefore, I stay away from the Mental Illness perspective as much as possible and focusing on helping the client improve Mental Health.