looking for advice about a CAREER in counselling

[Sugarmag]

Let's try this again. I started another thread but am now worried people might think I was looking for some free counselling! I'm actually looking for some advice about a career in counselling.

I've thought a lot over the last few years about going back to school/retraining to try and kickstart a new career. I'd always hoped to work with kids in the field of psychology (clinical psychologist, educational psychologist, something along those lines). Anyway, after a few setbacks I decided to train as a volunteer counsellor for Childline while I figured out what my next step would be. Well, I finished my training in November and have been volunteering as a counsellor ever since and I'm loving it. So now I'm wondering if it's possible to actually have a career as a counsellor - a paid career that is!

So does anyone out there work as a counsellor and if so can you please tell me what kind of work you do/what sort of jobs are avialable etc?

Many thanks in advance!

No one?

Yes it is possible, have you looked for counselling diploma courses near you? It's a 3 year evening course and at the end you are a fully trained counsellor and yes you can get paid and work in a number of areas...

be warned though the course is expensive (look into funding) and a lot hard than any evening course on the planet! My mum almost completed her diploma and was quite often found in tears after her sessions (although she's not the most stabel woman on the planet tbh!)

I've just started a basic counselling course, it's 10 weeks for 65 pounds - at the end I can apply for the diploma (some places have an intermediate course in between also)

best of luck - you can be paid!! And there are lots of avenues for further part time study in specialities such as counselling children (which oddly enough is what I want to do!)

a lot *harder!

Oh I can't type with dd lol

i know someone goimg through the diploma in person centred counselling at the moment. yes it is tough but fascinating. you also have to have counselling yourself as an inherant part of the training, as well as take on clients and receive supervision sessions about them. that is all on top of the classes and essays. It is also possible to do a certificate in counsellin which is less demanding.

turquoise knows alot about this as she is studying atm after working as a volounteer for many years

I'm doing the certificate thing - start tomorrow! And then on to the diploma.. so if you want a 'staudy buddy' (eugh!) let me know :)

Hi sugarmag, have you checked out the British Psychological Society (www.bps.org.uk) who have a division dedicated to counselling (info on latest research, quals, jobs etc)?. It is most definately possible to have a paid career as a counsellor. I entered the profession via a psychology degree and took as many courses as possible on lots of different therapeutic approaches ... but I was fortunate enough to have most of the courses at least partly funded. You don't need a psychology degree to be a recognised prof. counsellor and you are already going down the right path should you want BPS accreditation (some employers prefer this). My main employers so far have been NHS psychology departments and university clinical psychology depts. and private practice with probabtion service and gp referrals. To help continue build up your portfolio/experience/chance of getting on more training courses (both short and long), check out local authority paid posts in social services ... working in drug rehab, homeless, youth work etc. Apologies if I've just repeated stuff you know. Good luck, keep plugging away. Good luck fastasleep.
Schmoo.

thanks for all your replies - sorry I haven't responded sooner. i get so busy and keep putting everything else ahead of getting my career back on track. but I am going to have to do something about it and probably sooner rather than later.

fastasleep - good luck with your studies but I reckon you'll be way ahead of me - as you can see I haven't even gotten started. all I've done so far is find a website called COSCA (counselling in Scotland) but I've not had the time to research the courses it lists in any detail.

schmoo - i've been avoiding doing anything through the BPS as I am still furious that they wont' recognise my psychology degree from one of the top universities in the states (one of the "setbacks" i mentioned). but i know i can't rule that out either. thanks for all the info on jobs and stuff.

i did know that working as a counsellor usually involves undergoing your own counselling and I've got no problem with that (my dad will be thrilled - he thinks I have "issues" with my mother! but that's a whole other thread!!! )

anyway, I'm sure i'lll be back on asking loads more questions one I've had a chance to do some more research.

Hi Sugarmag

Not sure i can be much help but thought would add some words of encouragement. Childline is great experience - their training and support is very well regarded. I was a volunteer for about 18 months and learn't loads in that time, although this was a while a go (am now a clinical psychologist).

The only thing i have to add is that you might find it a bit tougher to get a job specifically with kids - although it depends on the age. Most 'input' with younger children is systemic - that is, working with parents and carers etc and therefore isn't within the traditional counselling model. I work in a child and adolescent mental health service, and we have one part time counsellor within a huge team of other roles (nurses, social workers, psychiatrists etc.) That said, there is growing demand for cognitive behavioural therapy for young people, to which your backgroud may well be suited (if you are interested in this, try the BABCP.com website. There are certianly non nhs employers who do employ counsellors within child services, but often with teenagers and young adults (eg after care services, post 16 education services etc.) Most counsellors who work from GP and mental health services work with adults (although there are exceptions to this.) and there are generally only limited numbers of NHS counselling jobs with children advertised. If you want to work in a therapeutic role with younger children, then it might be worth considering if counselling is the best training route for you, or whether another role would give you more scope and opportunities.

Sorry, that bit wasn't so encouraging was it. I think its just worth clarifying your goals before you get any further and making sure that any course you complete prepares you for a specific role at the end of it (i know people who have completed a psychology degree only to be suprised at the end of it when they can't get a job as a 'psychologist'. )

That all said, if you really enjoy childline it may be worth talking to your supervisor about the possibility of future work with them. They do (or at least did!) employ fulltime staff.

Am not suprised at your response to BPS , but might be worth a quick look at the site as their training stuff is usually pretty useful. There is also the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy website (BACP.co.uk)

Hope that makes sense, and good luck

MT

Hi MT. Thanks for all the info. I wouldn't mind working with teenagers or young adults as well as children. Although, when you said if I want to work in a therapeutic role with younger children, then other routes might be more suitable, what did you mean? Do you have any suggestions as to other possible paths?

I will look at the BACP website, although I believe COSCA is the equivelant organisation in Scotland. I'll have a look at both. Thanks again.

I suppose i was thinking along the lines of gaining a social work, nursing or youth work qualification and moving into more specific therapeutic work from there. But it sounds like you would be happy to work with older children/ young people, and i don't think that it would be necessary for that kind of role. The other possibility is play therapy, which would give you more scope to work with younger children.

I think people are often suprised just how difficult it can be to secure a post in this field. Although there are similarities to working in the adult field, there are lots of additional areas to think about. Many people applying for jobs as counsellors will have youth/social work qualifications, making for very tough competition when applying for posts.

One way to help you work out what qualifications might work best for you is to scan job adverts and send for the details of any that would interest you (say in 3 years time). You will usually get a person specification back identifying exactly what they are looking for. You can always then ring them up and ask a few questions - people are usually happy to help, (ok sometimes happy to help, but persistance does pay off) even if you are just finding out whats involved. I would also ask the admissions tutors on any course what ex students are doing now - good courses usually follow up cohorts to find out what posts they went into. If you want to work with children specifically, check the course is able to secure placements in services working with children.

I hope none of this puts you off, it sounds like you have some really good experience to build on.

Ok, sorry to keep picking your brain but what is play therapy? I've heard it mentioned on threads before but never really followed it up. Do you know anyone on here who could give me more info on it? thanks again!!

Play terapy is a way of working with children using things like sand, clay, paints etc. to see what they do with them and what that reveals about what's going on in their lives. It can be very powerful. From my experince, you need some qualification already to do a play therapy course, but there may be some available for beginners.

For general training, it's usually at least 3 years - introduction, intermediate, advanced and diploma. I have never heard of anyone going from a 10-week introductory course straight to a diploma course, where I am it's just not possible.

There is a hell of a lot of work involved, as someone already mentioned, and you have to be prepared to go through the mill emotionally yourlsef too. The courses will bring up a lot of things for you too.

Sorry about the delay - went back to work today

I'm afrad i can't add much to what counsellorintraining has said about play therapy. I have another website adresss though! www.playtherapy.uk.com/ (sorry, don't do links). I think degree level education in appropriate field (i.e. psychology) is a training requirement. In practice i expect lots of applicants have already completed a professional training course (e.g. social work, O.T etc) before applying, making it difficult for those without. Its definitly a growing field.