State of Connecticut Advocates' Corner

If You Need Someone to Talk To

Sometimes we hurt…Counselor with Person
  • Your body hurts when:
    • You fall down and hurt your leg 
    • You drink hot coffee and your mouth burns
    • You get a cold and you hurt all over
  • Your head and heart hurt when: 
    • Someone says something mean
    • You feel sad about something
    • You think about bad things a lot
When your body feels hurt:
  • You go to a doctor: 
    • To find out what’s wrong 
    • To find out how to get better
What do you do when your head or heart feels hurt?

When your head and heart feel bad:
It helps to talk to someone who will:
  • Listen
  • Ask questions
  • Share ideas
  • Keep things private
When your head and heart feel bad:
  • You can talk to someone who knows and cares about you:
  • A friend
  • Someone in your family
  • Someone you work with
  • You can also talk to someone called a counselor.
What is counseling?
  • Counseling helps make the hurt in your head and heart go away.
  • Sometimes counseling is called therapy.
  • In counseling you may: 
    • Talk about your feelings
    • Use art or music to show how you feel
Who does counseling?
  • Counselors are sometimes called:
  • Therapists
  • Doctors
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers
  • Marriage and Family Counselors
A story…. 
Maria and her parents fight every day.
  • They yell,
  • They call each other names,
  • Then they don’t talk to each other.
  • At work, Maria thinks about her family and starts to cry.
  • She asks her minister what to do.
  • He says they should talk to a family counselor. 
What happens in counseling?
  • In counseling, people talk. 
  • Don’t be afraid to say what you feel.
  • Some people use drawings or music to show how they feel.
  • The counselor will listen and ask questions.
  • Together, you can decide:
  • Why you feel bad
What you can do to feel better
Is your counselor right for you?
  • After your first meeting, ask yourself:
  • Do you feel good talking to this person?
  • Do you trust him or her?
  • Do you want to go back? 
  • Did he or she explain everything so you understand?
If you answer “no” to any of these questions, you can ask for another counselor.

You may want to join a support group.
  • A support group is a group of people who get together to help each other by: 
  • Listening,
  • Sharing stories
  • Giving ideas on how to feel better
You may want to join a support group.
  • People talk about lots of things in a support group:
  • Feeling sad after someone dies
  • Feeling unhappy with life
  • Drinking too much alcohol or eating too much
  • Anything that gets them down
Where can I find a support group?
  • Ask your Regional Center service coordinator.
  • Ask your support staff.
  • Ask your friends.
Where can I find a support group?
  • Call 211 - Ask about support groups for people with developmental disabilities.
  • Call your local Area Board. 
  • Go online and search for support groups.
More about Maria and her family...
  • The family went to a counselor several times.
  • He helped them talk to each other.
  • They shared ideas about:
  • What makes people angry
  • How to get rid of anger
  • How to do positive things every day - like telling each other something good that happened
They are getting along much better these days!