Is Level 4 counselling training still worth it for part-time private practice?

[Peonytimeguys]

Hello, I'm new to this site. I was wondering if working counsellors had an opinion. I have completed my foundation skills in counselling and am thinking of progressing. Is it still worth doing Level 4 (and then 5)? I realise it's taken some stick via the new SCoPeD framework levelling up/down. But it's half the cost of a postgrad (which tempts me but is v expensive).

Ultimately, I would like to go into private practice, but just for a couple of days a week, so part-time.

Am I crazy? Is there enough work, is Level 4 worth it, etc etc.

It depends on the kind of counsellor you want to be. I’d want someone in private practice to have as high a level of training as possible, and some decent experience behind them because in private practice you’re on your own.

You need to be able to hold space for others, assess and manage risk, understand a range of issues, understand therapeutic process, be able to run the business side of things as well as attend to your own wellbeing and manage workload.

When working with human distress I’d want the best level of qualification possible.

As a therapist I would never see someone with just level 4 training, nor would I refer others to them. Nothing to do with alignment to SCoPed and everything to do with depth of training.

That's completely reasonable, and I agree about the depth of training. I've also run my own business all my adult life and had over 15 years psychoanalytic therapy and two years transpersonal, so i think that helps.

Extensive therapy does help, but level 4 training is the absolute minimum. It’s like saying I’ve been under cardiac care for 10 years, so just need a first aid course to treat others. If you’ve been in therapy for a long time you’ll have an idea of the skill level needed to support someone long term, because you needed that person to be knowledgeable and skilled. That comes with time, theory, academic study and self development which by its very nature is limited in a level 4 course. The post grad is expensive, but worth it in terms of depth.

Did you choose a therapist with level 4 training, if not why not?

You make excellent points @Jellycatspyjamas and this is a standout question "Did you choose a therapist with level 4 training, if not why not?"

I only picked psychotherapists - because I felt they had earned their stripes. But I also know that I will not become a psychotherapist, so it's a bit of a moot point.