Counseling is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Counseling can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing. Problems helped by counseling include difficulties in coping with daily life; the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, like the death of a loved one; and specific mental disorders, like depression or anxiety. There are several different types of counseling and some types may work better with certain problems or issues. Counseling may be used in combination with medication or other therapies.