Retraining to be a therapist/counsellor - am I mad?

I said that the Level 4 Diploma is "pretty much useless" but perhaps that was a bit harsh. It was based on the BACP SCoPEd framework, because the Level 4 gives you limited options compared to if you have a Level 7. Also I noticed that when I was looking for NHS jobs, for most of them you needed the Level 6 or 7 core qualification. I went to the open days for the Level 4 and 5 courses just to keep my options open, but quickly realised those courses weren't demanding enough for me, plus I wanted a Masters to give me the options of teaching in HE and doing a PhD. I'm also not keen on counselling diploma courses where personal therapy isn't mandatory.

Also at the back of my mind was a thought that a Level 7 qualification would help me cosmetically to appeal to some prospective clients when they were looking for a counsellor in private practice on Counselling Directory or similar.

You would need extra training to be a mental health nurse or an OT, and would be excluded from peer support as a professional.
I do agree that no training is wasted. Sorry it hasn’t worked out for you.

mental health nursing, peer support work, occupational therapy, care coordinating

I would suggest looking into areas of training and learning. Many people changing careers are doing this.

You can transfer your skills and use what you have learnt in these roles. If you do change direction think of it as this, not time wasted as what you have learnt is valuable just used in a different way to how it is in face to face client/therapist work

Honestly I would not waste your time

I have degree in counselling and psychotherapy and further specialised training and struggled to get work and it will get much harder

Plus you have to think how many hours do you really want to work as a therapist in a week ? It can be very draining and restrictive . The training and the few hours you do while training is interesting, lots of hours a week is very very different. Working with clients online is taking over and to do this effectively you have to be very experienced.

There are many areas of work within mental health services that will pay a regular (not a high wage) and are rewarding

I'm just about to complete Level 4 in June. I funded through the Advance Learner Loan scheme. The course is tough but very rewarding. Finding placements is a bit stressful for a couple of months but I now have 2 - at a women's centre and a community centre. I worked almost full time through the course - I was able to work 3 long days, one half day and attend college 1 day per week and placement half a day a week.
I'm planning on doing a BSc top up degree in Sept and work part time in a school in a pastoral role and do some evening private practice if possible.
I'm in my late 50s - and don't regret my decision. I'm planning to specialise in trauma and CYP counselling - both of which are elective modules in the BSc course.
I'd say the Level 4 is a really challenging but fulfilling.

I didn’t say a level 4 is useless. I said it’s harder to stand out in the significantly bigger pool of self employed level 4 trained therapists, and there are less paid work opportunities for those trained to level 4.
Of course you can do CPD and add to your training, but it’s not the same in my view as doing a deeper, longer core training.
Personally I think it’s likely that the minimum training level will become degree level as it has for nursing, social work. I believe it harms the profession to have a level 4 as the entry point, because it is lower than the entry point into other similar careers. The scoped framework could be a starting point for that, but it’s not actively being pursued by membership bodies as far as I know.
I hope that helps

That’s great in your situation but it doesn’t necessarily mean that can be extrapolated to other counsellors or other areas of the country. Or even that it will last forever.

As a poster upthread describes, when that demand falls away it can happen very rapidly. Clients eventually finish, the waiting list is worked through and what happens then?

Obviously I hope that isn’t the case for you or anyone on this thread but I am in a position where I have an insight into the wider market for counselling services and the picture doesn’t look great.

Honestly…they won’t give any insight at all, which is why I replied. I have a full practice and a waiting list, but these measures for me would give no indication of the size of the market.

You’re not unreasonable at all in wanting to do it. You have to be really passionate about it whilst being realistic. The majority of roles require BACP (or equivalent) accreditation, not just membership and that requires a minimum of 2 years as a member and 450 clinical hours (by memory). Add in the ongoing supervision and CPD courses…
don’t go into it thinking you will earn a lot of money. Some do but most don’t.
i loved my training and I love doing what I do - I honestly would change it for anything - just go into it with your eyes open.
good luck

I am not claiming that these are perfect metrics but they will give the OP some insight into the state of her local private market.

I just don’t want her to invest time and money in costly training and end up reliant on a zero-hours contract with BettaHelp or CounsellorsRUs at a miserable hourly rate.

I think it really depends on the area you live in OP. It is very difficult in my area for people to get paid (PAYE) employment as counsellors as no one has the budget for it; the local services that are commissioned (eg for teenagers) rely heavily on trainee counsellors providing the majority of the day to day service. There is a demand for counselling but people who need it rarely have the means to pay for it, and it isn't an area that is prioritised for public funding. Private practice relies on having a local market with disposable income as another PP said.
It seems to be quite common for people to get level 2 or 3 and use it to help get into jobs where it is a useful but not required qualification such as non-teaching pastoral support in schools, support work, family work etc.

Tbh, most people looking for counselling do not ask on Facebook, and not everyone tells their friends they are having counselling.

Have you tried testing the market in your local area, for example searching your local FB groups for posts requesting counsellors? That will give you a sense of what the local market is like. Are they swamped by replies?

On a similar note, have many of your friends paid for counselling?

These are just questions to consider and equally apply to other self-employed professions. At one point I knew more people training to be personal trainers than people using personal trainers!

Hiya, I graduated with a masters in counselling last May (level 7), and have since set up my private practice. Have consistently grown my client base since then, which is something I was initially concerned about. I haven't needed to undercharge, instead I charge what is the average for my city, though I intend to up this after I do further training and become more specialised. As far as I know, everyone from my masters cohort who have gone on to private practice currently are full client-wise. So, the need is definitely there.

During my training I had two placements: many placements rely on trainees to fill the spots, so it wasn't a case of scarcity. Placements are useful to get an initial feel for an area youd like to work in and could go on to specialise in once qualified.

Not the person you’re asking but I did a post grad diploma in counselling and psychotherapy, and a masters in a specialism. I had a lot of experience in service management and safeguarding so set up private practice soon after qualifying. I easily get clients because of my specialism - most of my clients now are by word of mouth, if you’re good previous clients will recommend you to others.

In terms of training, go for the best you can rather than the least you need. You’re working with people’s psyche, so it’s important to take the work (and training) seriously because there is huge potential for harm. While I know you’ve been in therapy, therapy while in training is a different beast, because the training will throw up all sorts of stuff that you think you’ve laid to rest.

The training isn’t just academic, the self development part is what will make you a good counsellor as opposed to just being competent. It’ll will inform the type of therapist you’ll be, your ethics and your capacity for safe therapeutic relationships.

In my experience it’s possible to build a thriving private practice, I work from home so after set up costs it’s a fairly cheap business to run even allowing for insurance, supervision and CPD. How many client you see will depend on your client base - I work a lot with trauma so keep a low case load, because working well with trauma is very demanding.

It’s good, challenging, rewarding work but you need to invest in your training, be able to build decent networks and be organised enough to run it as a business.

@SpiritedlightI haven’t done additional training to specialise, but I think my specialism is my training. I did a longer training, with a significant amount of my own therapy, and this means I am better placed to offer in depth work. I was also immediately eligible to work with insurance companies. I did a 4/5 year integrative masters after an intro equivalent to your level 3. The taught part was 4 years, and then dissertation and viva. Yes I worked part time, others I know worked full time, but I don’t know anyone who managed full time work + school
aged children + masters. My course was once a month at the weekend, so it was manageable to work too. I am happy to chat in DM.

I’d say go for it. My BFF retained 6 years ago from hairdressing to become a therapist, she’s now a qualified couples therapist too. Earning well, working from home and loves it. Didn’t take long to get a decent amount of clients, even through covid times. Best thing she’s ever done, and a career that will take you into retirement.

Hi OP - I’m in the same boat as you, having done Level 2 and Level 3. I really want to do Level 4 but haven’t found a way to fit it in to my life at the moment. I was able to work part-time when I did Levels 2 and 3 but for financial reasons I had to return to work full time, however I have changed my job to one that I am able to deliver some therapeutic interventions in, making the most of my new skills and knowledge. I’m looking at doing Level 4 at a residential centre over some long weekends but it is £ and whilst I’d love to be able to say I’m a qualified counsellor I’m not sure how much it will benefit me work wise. I’m hoping to train in CBT with my new job at some stage.

I would say as someone working within the education field, a there is huge demand for parents wanting counselling for their child, but very few of them want to pay for it and expect the school to be paying. Some schools do have a school counsellor, I know, but very many don’t and they simply don’t have the budget to pay for this.