Thinking of doing a counselling course but scared

[stressedandamess]

Hello all bit of background
Im 44, got DD (5) and DS (14) with ADHD.
Im a single parent and work 3 days a week but I am thinking of doing a counselling course but Im really apprehensive.

I studied to be a midwife back in 2018 and it didnt go too well, a lot of family issues and deaths. I never completed it. I feel like I have ptsd when it comes to studying and Im not sure if I will be able to manage now im older and fatter with the two young ones at home.

Part of me thinks I should give it a go but then the other part is burnt out from raising the two and working, should I really add more to my plate.

Just wondering what other peoples experiences have been like really and if i should take the leap.
Thanks in advance

There is little to no money in counselling. Have you thought about doing social work or perhaps the probation service?

If you already feel burnt out then I’d think carefully about studying counselling. It’s emotionally intense with lots of self-exploration and reflection. Then once qualified you’re receiving and holding lots of other people’s emotions and trauma.

Are you starting with a Level 3 course? Something like Introduction to Counselling? If so then just give it a go and see how you get on with it. You can always choose not to move on to further training if it's not a good fit.

I have just enrolled on a level 2 counselling. Being honest, I would not have done it in your situation with a young child aged five, but that’s just me. In 2018 your eldest would have been really young too so go easy on yourself about your midwifery course. Midwifery is full on. For the past 15 years I have felt able to go to work (part-time) and be a mum and that’s it. My kids are now much older than yours and even then I have had to really weigh up whether or not I want to commit to a course on top of everything else. That said, a L2 counselling course is a nice place to start as it’s not too long, there is no commitment to further study and it will probably be generally helpful and interesting.

Thank you @Handeyethingyowl. I could look into a course evening to see what its like. I barely have energy most nights so the thought of studying in the evenings is a bit daunting. I do think I should wait until they are older but will I have the energy when Im older lol

@AmberSpy Im looking to see if there are some taster courses around my area. Still not really sure

I think you should do an introduction to counselling skills course (short one so little time and financial gain) to understand it better and whatever job you do next, training your active listening skills is a great thing and will be good to have on your cv. You won’t make much money in this as a career though!
you could also try being a Samaritans volunteer to try it out. Very draining though.

You might want to be a mental health in schools practitioner - good term time work. Look up courses in this.

thinking about if you liked being a midwife, another one year course I think it training to be an NCT course leader. This could be really rewarding and help new parents. You could also do child minding alongside your current kids, teaching assistant or nursery worker. If you like giving treatments could you train to do beauty therapy type stuff like laser hair removal and medical grade facials - this would be a rewarding and not too stressful business to be in.

I looked into this a lot and found there is no work in this field. The counselling qualification isn’t enough to become a counsellor. You need a degree for this and given that psychology is the most studied degree in the UK and there are so few psychiatrist jobs, any counselling jobs and mental health related jobs, tend to go to those will full degrees and maybe even post grads in counselling. You’ll end up in general care work or similar which you could do without qualifications.

If you could get the course free and wanted to study it as a hobby then I’d say to go ahead but if you’re having to make a lot of effort and hoping this will lead to a career, it won’t. Sorry to burst your bubble as I really fancied it too.

Hi, to become a counsellor you need to have a degree and be registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. College would take a few years and so would Uni. If this doesn’t feel attainable to you because I know it sounds daunting and is a big commitment, what about becoming an advisor? Like a benefits advisor, careers advisor etc… What work experience do you have?

Hello, trained counsellor here. I did my training whilst having a 3 year old, it was hard but totally worth it. To the previous poster saying you need a degree that's simply not true. You actually dont need any qualifications to call yourself a counsellor (which is crazy but true!) In order to be a registered member of BACP which I am, you do need at least a Level 4 counselling diploma and complete your 100 client hours. It is absolutely doable but bear in mind it does take a lot of emotional work so if youre feeling a bit burned out I wouldn't advise doing it. Best of luck, Ive been a counsellor for 5 years and best thing I ever did, it is absolutely possible to make a living out of it so dont be put off by the other poster who said you can't, that's simply not true.

To Become a Children’s Mental Health Nurse in school, it requires a four year MNurse course at University. I only know because I’m currently a final year adult nurse. But such a rewarding job but I will be honest, it requires a lot of commitment and a lot of women/men in your age bracket are in my cohort so it’s never too late.🙂

Think about how much money you need to earn and look at what counselling jobs are currently available in your area and what the salary is, and how long it would take and how much it would cost to get the necessary qualifications.

Have you ever had therapy yourself? You’re really hard on yourself in your message

Ohh I was advised I would need a degree and this was in 2020 so not along ago. Ohh well I’m glad you was able to correct me, thanks! To be honest, I found it wasn’t for me so maybe I didn’t take the time to look into as much as I have with my nursing degree.

I found counselling training wonderful and meaningful and am a full time counsellor in private practice. It’s totally possible to make a living and no you don’t need a degree.

@nondrinker1985 I have had counselling in the past. The first lot helped and the second a few years later wasn’t that great. It was done via zoom with a student.

@swingingbytheseat thats fantastic and thank you for your reply.