To spend family money on my own education

[Citycat1]

I want to retrain and no matter how I try, I can't find any way to pay for it, other than to get a bank loan. It will cost around £14000 and we simply don't have that money. Getting a loan means no holidays for me, my DH and 2 DC for quite some time. We might need to get a new car too and will need to borrow money for that too. DH keen for me to retrain as I've considered it for ages and he knows how passionate I am about it. But I feel like I'm making everyone else sacrifice for it. AIBU to retrain and get us into debt for it?

Wow, that's a lot of responses! I will take them all on board. Thank you and some really lovely ideas and encouragement.A lot of what you've all said I've considered.

1. I would be working alongside getting a diploma so no loss of wages

2 I definitely don't want to train as a mental health nurse, deal with adults with mental illness or be a psychologist. I have, and always will, want to work with children and young people. I just get so much pleasure out of supporting them.

1. To train as a child and yp counsellor is a specific field of learning with specific skills. They are crying out for those specialists.

1. I'm not necessarily looking to work in the NHS. I find they don't always support yp in the best way, and I know of charities that work in a more creative way.

1. I'm already in contact with adult and child counsellors, both have said if I train, they'll take me on for placement. I think I'd get a job of similar wage, closer to home in the end.

1. I think it's more about if money was no object, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But... money is an issue. So much debt to get into so that I'm fulfilled in my job.

So.....lots to ponder and thank you all so much in responding. It really helps x

Go for it.
Holding yourself back because of your family won’t lead to long term happiness. The-train, who knows what opportunities might come out of it.

I am currently training to be a counsellor (level 4 diploma) alongside my day job and I am curious why the training you are thinking of is so expensive (you said £14,000), my diploma in total will be under £5,000. In addition to the low employment prospects which others have covered, do you actually need the diploma if you are already in a role providing emotional support? How will your prospects improve? Have you explored Place2Be and Relate at all? In general, I am all for education and training but you're not making a great business case here.

@coffeemonster28

I am currently training to be a counsellor (level 4 diploma) alongside my day job and I am curious why the training you are thinking of is so expensive (you said £14,000), my diploma in total will be under £5,000. In addition to the low employment prospects which others have covered, do you actually need the diploma if you are already in a role providing emotional support? How will your prospects improve? Have you explored Place2Be and Relate at all? In general, I am all for education and training but you're not making a great business case here.

Now you're a person who knows what I'm on about. Yes, very interested in place2be. I've had lots of communication with them and I know people who have been on their training. They rave about it, and I got so excited about the possibilityof training eith them. It's between them, and IATE at the moment but to get the BACP professional registration you need to get to the level 4, post grad diploma. That, and the level 3. Or the 2 years at IATE cost a lot. I'm going around in circles figuring it out. Also, place2be have told me they don't currently have any placements in my area. And their placements have to be in a place2be school but IATE will let you have a placement local to you.

My job at the moment, although lovely, limits my skills. There's only so much I can do and I refer to the counselling team all the time. It's hot a ceiling and I'm hitting it and need more to stimulate me.

OK, what if you approached it slightly differently? What about doing level 4 on a "regular" counselling course which allows you to do up to 50% of placement with children and do 50% with say uni students so that you are as close as possible to your target audience? This would be give you the Level 4 base to register with BACP, and do remember you don't have to be on a course registered by BACP as you can always take a "proficiency exam" at the end of your Level 4. This is what I will be doing as my course is with ABC, not accredited by BACP but at the end of the course provided I take the proficiency exam I can be registered because I will have completed the full portfolio and done 100 hours of placement. Then, if you wanted to, you could do a follow-on placement with Place2Be and get the child counselling specialism without having to pay (I think this is what it says on their website, if you already have L4 diploma, would need double-checking). Or you could do Level5 CPCAB top-up, child counselling specialism. This could be a way of reducing costs, as it is possible to find L4 diplomas for £4-£5k.

Sorry, I meant to say you do not have to study on a course which is accredited with BACP to become registered with BACP, you can do it via the certificate of proficiency.

@coffeemonster28

OK, what if you approached it slightly differently? What about doing level 4 on a "regular" counselling course which allows you to do up to 50% of placement with children and do 50% with say uni students so that you are as close as possible to your target audience? This would be give you the Level 4 base to register with BACP, and do remember you don't have to be on a course registered by BACP as you can always take a "proficiency exam" at the end of your Level 4. This is what I will be doing as my course is with ABC, not accredited by BACP but at the end of the course provided I take the proficiency exam I can be registered because I will have completed the full portfolio and done 100 hours of placement. Then, if you wanted to, you could do a follow-on placement with Place2Be and get the child counselling specialism without having to pay (I think this is what it says on their website, if you already have L4 diploma, would need double-checking). Or you could do Level5 CPCAB top-up, child counselling specialism. This could be a way of reducing costs, as it is possible to find L4 diplomas for £4-£5k.

Now that sounds like a good plan. I'm on a level 3, starting in September in general counselling and might do what you suggested. Will take longer but cost less. Thank you so very much. I didn't realise you could 'top up' and be a child/yp counsellor.