would love to become a councellor. how long does it take to become one ?

[wouldlovetohelpyouall]

I have been toying with the idea for a while and I did some research but I'm still a bit confused regarding the qualifications needed. I would like to help people going through depression or who are battling an addiction.

Hope someone can help me !

I think if you find people are always 'opening' up to you in your every day life, then you are heading in the right direction. I am not sure what qualifications are needed but had a friend who is a counsellor and she did alot of training. I hope someone else can give you some better advice soon.

Thanks you can be my friend if you buy me cake ! People do open up to me, I probably know more about them that they know about me ! I also have a good memory about what has be said to me so I don't suffer too much of awkward moments ! I love helping and getting involved and make a difference

www.bacp.co.uk/

This could be a good place to start.

Good luck!

Your local FE college will probably offer basic counselling skills courses which you can sign up to and build upon, up to post graduate clinical qualifications. Alongside this you might try voluntary work for organisations like Samaritans or other telephone helplines which do in-house training.

Best of luck.

The training is intense emotionally, financially, and time wise. Mine was three years. In addition to a weekly class, I had weekly personal therapy, my weekly clients, weekly supervision, needed to write essays and do a LOT of reading. We also have regular weekend trainings throughout each year, 10-5 both days.

As I say, intense!

It's also difficult to find work as a counsellor, so do please think carefully before investing a lot of time and money.

pet makes a good point. However you seem to be at the very start of an interest in counselling which would not involve what she/describes - this kind of investment comes further down the line, once you have had a 'taster' of the kind of skills required.

Follow your dream. You have nothing to lose.

To be a psychotherapist you can do 10 weekends a year for 4 years, and you have to have personal counselling at the same time (40 sessions a year). You also have to do 120h of placement. It is post graduate level.

Hi my training was 4 yrs and qualified me as a psychotherapist and counsellor.

100 hrs face to face client hours as a volunteer

50hrs of personal therapy student rate weekly

pay for own supervision which can be roughly 30/45 quid 1hr of
Supervision per six hours of client work

Level 2 course about 375 10 weeks
Level 3 575 24/30 weeks depends on college plus some weekends

Level 4 2 yrs day release college a full day 4grand plus about
3/400 on books and sundries
Plus 2 full weekends away

Plus now an exam to get on the BACP register that's free

Plus 2 exams one written 3000 word essay and one answer paper
7 written essays that have to be passed
Plus mental health assignments and presentations to class
Group work

And individual assessments and practicals
Loads of reading character assassinations from the group work you will do and no where to hide personally either in class or therapy wise.

All in all about 8 to 10 thousand spent.

The training is both wonderful and shit all at the same time, if you have not got a good support structure In doors it could tear it apart

And very very few paid jobs about if so they are mostly part time.

Then there's the BACP accreditation don't get me started

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me these informations,I really think it is the job for me. Now my children are still very young so the training could be a bit too heavy on my family life, only few more years before they start secondary ! I have enrolled myself to a tester this Saturday to see what it is all about.

I'd love to help people with addiction or who are depressed or going to meet new mums who are having s tough time.