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

[Spiritedlight]

I'm mid-fifties, have already completed Level 2 and Level 3 (in the evening) counselling course, with the view to either doing a postgrad or Level 4 in September to complete the training. For context, it's at least another 2 years study before I can work in any clinical setting.

But now, I have to do the training face to face - at least one day a week, part-time, the courses are much more expensive, I'm required to have regular personal therapy (also expensive) and pay for clinical supervision. Also, it will inevitably have a knock on effect on what work I can do (I'm self-employed), assuming there is the work (my industry, like others, is undergoing significant changes and work for contractors is tough to get). I'm guessing it could cost anywhere around £15K over the next two years, not including loss of work if I am not available. To specialise further, I'd have to then go on to spend a lot more money...

Whilst I have savings and a great husband who will support me, I really worry about whether I'm investing too much at this point. If this is just a silly jump, if there is even going to be work out there for me. I enjoy the subject a lot, and I am keen to practice but I'm obviously not at the beginning of my career. I've got less energy than I had twenty years ago, and I just worry I'm picking the wrong lane for this point in my life. The doubts are crowding in.

Any therapists out there with words of wisdom?

I’m just bumping you as I’d be really interested to hear from those who are well placed to comment

Yes, that is always a standard part of counselling training. Does your school offer any support - such as providing staff to be supervisors, or something? One nice thing about the profession is flexibility. You can set your own days and hours quite well.

To practice privately, I've probably got another four years.

Yes but once you're qualified, if you see it through, it's a huge benefit to have the flexibility.

I can't comment on whether it's worth the investment for you. It could be something you do for years after retirement for just a handful of hours a week, if you enjoy it, for a bit of extra income. On the other hand, if you are happy with what you do now, is it worth it for you?

It was suggested to me that when you set out in private practice, it takes at least two years before you even begin to make money out of it.

It can be stressful and it can be very rewarding. You will need regular supervision as long as you practice, but I think you already would know that.

Hey, can't offer any insight but remember a similar post last month where the consensus was that there are a lot of trained therapists/counsellors worried about the jobs market in the coming years. Sorry. Hopefully you can find that thread?

I think there will always be a market for it but it is certainly shrinking. Nothing can replace the experience of therapy but more people are now using online services such as Better Help (who do not pay their counsellors well!), online forums like this one or even sharing their thoughts with AI.

Do you know that the largest national provider of counselling, Relate, went into administration last year? The local Relate branches are still operating, mostly under new names, but it’s a tough market…

My friend did a psychology degree, masters and now PhD. She’s taking her work seriously. Private clients.

I think personally at the moment AI is not good enough but it’s getting there. Look at an app called Ash. It’s very clunky at the moment. I’m not a therapist but had extensive therapy, I currently have an amazing Psychologist and we’ve discussed the impact of AI on the profession. At the moment AI can be a little black and white, doesn’t quite have the human perspective but it’s not bad at all. We’ve talked through some of the stuff it’s brought up for me in our sessions and she’s said theoretically it’s bang on, but at the moment there is a but. So that’s it really, she’s phenomenal but I honestly can see AI taking over a lot of ‘counselling’.

More and more people are turning to AI. You'll never see a financial return either. You'd be better off investing the £15k+ that you'll spend.

The above poster sounds like they are describing clinical psychology which is a different field.

I'm so glad Relate have gone out of business. Their advice to women in abusive relationships was appalling and compounded the abuse.

I think any industry reliant on disposable income/ discretionary spend will be insecure. You will have to continuously replace clients as not many will afford, or need counseling for a very long time.

Do you have other sources of income?

My understanding is that Relate was bought and now has a much broader, more refreshed branding than it did - and to be honest, it needed a complete reboot. So whilst I totally get the market could shrink, I don't think this was Relate's biggest issue. It felt like it got stuck in a time warp, to be honest.

I'm currently in the process - I'll qualify in June. I'd recommend looking into the BACPs new ScopEd requirements. I haven't read too much about it yet but the level 4 is pretty much not going to count for much come next year and possibly the level 5 soon after. I've started keeping an eye on the jobs market and it does seem that the available roles pay little more than my current salary in a wellbeing role (£30k) and want a couple of years experience. If you want to earn a decent amount then it seems like private practice is the way to go, but obviously it takes a while to build up and there's no guarantees. The courses are a lot of work, you have to find a placement, which are like gold dust. That being said, the personal development you go through in the process is huge and if you are in a position in life to take the plunge and recognise that the benefits of it don't just relate to work, go for it!

Im a trained counsellor who was lucky enough to secure funding for much of my training and due to a previous degree started at level 4 so only spent maybe £1800 to complete my training. So yes I made my
money back but not much profit tbh as I find the work very tricky to do privately as I am too soft hearted so if a client was struggling to continue due to finances I wouldn’t have been able to just say “shame, bye!”
I worked for a charity for regular income instead and then retrained as a mental health nurse in order to complete CBT training.

The hugely frustrating thing is there is such a need for counselling but actual work is hard to find or you have to price yourself so as to really only be helping quite well off people who can afford £45-75 per hour. And my conscience couldn’t let me do that.

So I think save your money and look at ways to help in local areas on a voluntary basis instead of giving up your job.

It’s so depressing that people think that AI counselling over human will be a good idea for all.

As for the @Spiritedlight i looked into it a few years ago and felt like the effort was a lot and that i didn’t think see a big difference in pay for that effort. Nevermind trying to get work etc.

This is really helpful. Thanks. I'll have a look.

I hear you about the personal growth, but my frustration also is that I've had over 15 years personal therapy - pretty hardcore psychotherapy - so I come to this process with a lot under my belt. I didn't really want to go back into it again.

There are so many benefits, I can see, but it's a big plunge

Do you have a source for that or are you extrapolating from a few people’s reported experience?

I had no experience of the national organisation but my local Relate had very high levels of satisfaction feedback from clients and well-qualified counsellors who were regularly supervised.

This thread is about the sector as a field in which to work and a national organisation going into administration was hugely upsetting for many, many people.

We explored it at a recent workshop - someone presented on Relate. The main issue was they became financially unsustainable after losing significant government and other contract funding.

@AnonyLonnymouse I'm not sure why you put this: "This thread is about the sector as a field in which to work and a national organisation going into administration was hugely upsetting for many, many people." Am I not allowed an opinion?

It was bought from the administrators after having experienced dwindling finances for several years and selling off its assets in an attempt to survive.

The demand was there but it was not profitable.

That was in reply to someone else.

My comment probably. I'm sure there was upset but the damage that was done to countless women was incalculable.

@Spiritedlight
I am on your side in all this, honestly and just sharing my experiences of the sector.

It is very tempting to look in from the outside and think that an organisation must have been out-of-touch or getting it wrong in some way but it did everything possible to try to survive. The problems were more symptomatic of a declining financial model.

A post above mentioned not wanting to charge people £45, but the problem is that £45 is barely economic unless you are a one-man-band working from your own home or online. If are paying any kind of overheads, or the costs of supervision, or allowing for cancellations and lull periods, then the profits rapidly evaporate. No one wants counselling at 11am on a Tuesday and they all want to be able to cancel if something else comes up.

It is really difficult to make it pay.

I totally get what you're saying - and I'm here posting because I have the same concerns