AIBU to want to do an OU degree?

[newleaves]

NC for this

I recently graduated university in a creative degree (within last few years) and have been lucky to get a job in my field straight out of the door. However, I've really been thinking about looking into becoming a counsellor for a while now.

The OU do a degree which I could complete part time over 6 years whilst still at my job. By that point I would be earning around 24k in my current role if I don't progress further.

People regularly tell me I'd make a great counsellor, and my own counsellor has told me to strongly consider it. I almost applied for the degree at the end of last year but chickened out.

The main sticking point is that my sister is currently studying that same degree with the OU, intending to be a counsellor. She has big issues RE rivalry with me and I don't want to her think I'm trying to copy her - this is something I genuinely want to do. I'm also considering pursuing it further into genetic counselling.

I don't feel it would be an entire waste of the career I've had so far, as I can undertake freelance work (and I have already). It's something I can always come back to and can do on the side.

I'm 24 now and would be 30 on completion of the counselling degree, and if I do genetic counselling I'd be 33 on completion of studies.

I love my current job and the field I'm in, but I believe counselling is something that I'd enjoy even more and truly fulfill me.

AIBU to want a career change already?

Your sister will probably hold it against you for the rest of eternity if you do, particularly if you get better results than her. I don't think that's a good thing to do. There are other ways of getting qualifications for counselling & you've no practical experience. Better to get some of that first (try manning a helpline or something voluntary) & then you'll know if it's your thing AND you'll have proved to your sister that you're not trying to outdo her.

And Dancingtothebeat is right. Sorry.

How much practical experience do you get with OU?

My friend studied psychotherapy and inn site she needed something like 100 hours excellence to get the full qualification? Plus see a therapist herself and see a supervisor to talk about her volunteer work. She stood it distance learning where they'd meet up for so many days every so often (used AL) and then they'd do assignments distance learning. If be wary of any course that didn't require lots of experience and supervision

I spent 7 years and several thousand pounds training as a counsellor. There are very, very few jobs around and most are either part time or voluntary.
Once qualified and working you will still need to be in supervision which you will need to fund yourself, plus you will almost definitely need another job.
Sorry to be a negative nancy but NOBODY from my cohort is counselling as their main job, all are doing it very very part time and either as a 2nd job or they are retired and it supplements their pension.
It's very interesting but more draining and emotionally difficult than you would imagine. I'd think very, very carefully.
And as per advice above, do a BACP accredited course or finding paid work will be even harder.

This is funny as I have been thinking of doing an OU degree myself and one course I wouldn't do is psychology, even though I'm interested in it, as my sister studied that and I wouldn't want any kind of competition to creep in. OP have you looked into art therapy? I don't know much about it but it seems to use some of your creative skills.

If I can hijack the thread rather than start another I'd love to get people's opinions on my own situation. I'm 42 and I'm pretty much in a rut with my pt job that fits in with family but doesn't suit me in a lot of ways. So distance learning seems to fit as a way of improving my career in the future and also bringing a bit of interest to my life in the meantime. The thing is if I do it pt I'd be 48 by the time I finished my degree. There's no guarantee of a job at the end of it. I'd have been working (and studying) part time for years by then and it would be a big change to go full time at that point.
The courses I'm interested in are English, English plus languages or History. These all seem to point to a career as a teacher, but I'm not sure it's for me. I like people but my social skills aren't brilliant and this seems important for a teacher. I'm not totally against it but I don't want to aim for something that isn't a good idea for me, even if it's years in the future. Other than teaching I don't know how useful any of these degrees would be in the job market. Funding wise, I understand I should be eligible for a student loan and would only have to pay it back if I earn over the threshold. So if I didn't get a full time job I may not have to pay it back. Does this sound right?
Wwyd in my situation?

Im 36 and not working at all Rainy, I'm doing a science degree as you can get second degree funding. I'll ve 42 when I I finish and will need to then do at least a teaching qualification and possibly educational therapy after a few years work so could be 46/7 by the time I qualify. Will have to work til at least 65 so that's 15 years using my qualifications. That seems worth it. Incidentally doing it via OU

I’ve just finished level 2 of an OU computing and IT degree so 4 years down 2 to go. I’ll be 46 when I finish. If you can afford it and have the time to do it then go for it.

Thanks I'm very torn by the age thing. Half of me thinks I will be wanting to work even less at 50 plus, and half that I will be wanting some more interesting things to do once my dd is grown up (and possibly off to work in America according to her ).

Counselling cannot effectively be studied via distance learning. I've studied counselling and I've studied psychology and they are poles apart. If you want to study psychology because it interests you, go ahead, but it won't lead to a job.

To work in counselling after a degree you'd still need to do the face to face course that you could start right now via those links I posted above. If you're serious about the career change you'll find a way to make it work - most courses will be part time, perhaps one evening a week.

That said, as PPs have mentioned above, in many areas there are more counsellors than people paying for counselling. It's a great life skill, another string to your bow (useful in so many other roles) and really interesting to learn about, but don't count on making your living entirely through counselling.

Correction: a psychology degree through the OU won't lead to a job in counselling without further face to face study.

I've taken this all on board and will keep digging into it - want to find the best solution possible.

As far as I'm aware, my sister does believe this course will qualify her as a counsellor and she also has zero face to face experience. Apologies for drip feeding but this is also the 3rd subject that my sister has studied - she didn't do anything with the previous 2. She does have form for picking up things and dropping them. If this was her life long dream, I wouldn't have considered it in the first place.

So I'm not sure that I want to put off something I genuinely want to do and have a strong passion for just because it's one of her many study subjects. She previously didn't want my younger sister to study a subject at school as it was one of these 3 study subjects. My sister did it anyways, did end up with a better grade, but nothing more came of it. My older sister had moved onto the next thing by then.

I shall indeed keep digging and make sure I've got this all planned out properly before I take it any further! It may well be I find a different but relevant subject in my research that I can pursue, but I won't rule this out. However, I do also have a strong interest in forensics, but lack the relevant science qualifications. I've wanted to do it since I was about 11 years old. There was a forensic art masters I wanted to do but I have a 2:2 degree not a 2:1 unfortunately.

What about psychotherapy?

Do you need a degree for that?

Sometimes i think we overuse actual degrees. I mean surely non-degree training is better for counselling/therapy etc.

Obviously its important to have some academic knowledge but these just dont seem like fields that should be taught mostly in classrooms

Psychotherapy is M level, but usually(always?) part time because of the nature of the course. You’d need twice weekly therapy yourself for most courses.

@TheIsland
Does that mean you need to go back and do a psychology undergrad to get access to the psychotherapy Masters?

Does that mean you need to go back and do a psychology undergrad to get access to the psychotherapy Masters?

No, you don't need a related degree.

She previously didn't want my younger sister to study a subject at school as it was one of these 3 study subjects. My sister did it anyways, did end up with a better grade, but nothing more came of it. My older sister had moved onto the next thing by then.
Did it occur to you that she gave up because your other sister was going to do / doing it?

No, unrelated. It’s a competitive course to get onto though and often social sciences, education etc is thought more favourably.

@nikephorus

She didn't. My older sister did the subject at school and then college, my younger sister only wanted it as a subject at school and she knew this. My older sister will every now and again say she's going to pick up that subject again, and then starts something new, it's just how she is.

Tbh I think not being able to study something because your sister might strop is ridiculous. She doesn't get dibs on education and careers and the rest of you can have something else

I've just finished my first year of an OU course and I LOVE it. It's not stressful, it's very clearly set out, loads of support, you can do it at your own time and pace. After being stuck in a career I'm bored of, the course is a breath of fresh air - is spot on in all of my interests and I genuinely enjoy it and feel like I'm achieving with it. GO FOR IT