The short answer is...everyone...at different times in their lives.
Counseling is ultimately about wellness, so let's start with a definition.
"Wellness is a continual process toward optimal functioning through a dynamic balance among all aspects of an individual"
In simple terms: No one is perfect, so everyone could be more well. It is a process that is unique to you. Counseling can be a place where you work towards your personal goals to feel like a better version of yourself.
It is about growth and lasting change.
Sometimes you may choose to go to counseling to grow as a person because you are wanting to leave old patterns behind or make personal progress towards an important goal to you. This is a big reason people go to premarital counseling.
It is also really normal to go through times when you feel less well as a person or notice you just "feel off". This could be feeling more anxious or not sleeping or feeling down and not being able to shake it. Sometimes that is because something difficult in the past or present has happened in your life or because a life transition has been harder than expected. Hello Pandemic.
It is normal to need support. Everyone goes through times when that support is not as extensive as they need or they are re-growing their support networks. This is a great time to include a counselor.
The truth is you don't have to face hard times alone.
That might be confusing for some. When the treatment of mental health first started it was really only meant for the severely mentally ill, but as our knowledge has grown we have learned more about how to help people. In some ways, it is still like going to a local doctor. Some doctors treat the severely physically ill who need treatment or surgery right away, but there are also doctors that treat the everyday illness that comes with living in the world.
Just like walking on a broken bone makes the pain worse over time and can make the care needed more extensive, waiting to go to a counselor until a normal issue transforms into something more severe can make care longer and potentially less effective.
It is okay to ask for help when you need it. That doesn't make you broken. It makes you brave.
You are valuable and deserve care.