Volunteering or course or both

[ScottishMouse]

Thinking hard about a career change from a broadly education-based domain into psychology/mental health. Have some slightly relevant academic and outside academic experience, but essentially this would be a big change. I am researching and considering a number of (quite different to each other) possible routes and areas I’d be interested in. I’m interested in getting a look into the world of counselling. I am not thinking of a career in counselling per se, but some things I’m thinking of would make good use of such skills/knowledge. I am considering doing an Intro to Counselling course (evenings once a week for 12 weeks, so enough for a taste but not a massive commitment) or applying to volunteer at Samaritans/Parentline or similar (training is provided, but I don’t know how deep/extensive). Doing both is perhaps also do-able. Does anyone have any experience of either/both of these and can shed some light on what I might get out of them, what the training for such volunteering roles might be like (would it cover much of what the Intro to Counselling course might cover, ie would there be little point in the course if one had done such volunteer training…)? Any insight very much appreciated, thank you.

Samaritans isn't counselling, it's a listening service so the training would be different.

I think it's worth doing the intro to counselling course as it will teach you about active listening which is useful in any volunteer role and in everyday life. It's also something to add to your CV. Like you mention organizations do their own training. I did Cruse helpline training which was excellent, it did touch on active listening skills but not as in-depth as an intro to counselling course, as expected it had a heavy focus on bereavement / theories.

Samaritans training and counselling are quite different and you definitely don't want to do both simultaneously, as the techniques can conflict with each other (I say this as a Samaritans trainer - I've seen people struggle to do both). Samaritans training is 3 hours a week for 6-7 weeks plus online learning in between, followed by another 4-6 sessions over about 6 months, plus you do a 3 to 4 hour shift every week, including some night duties. It's quite a big commitment on top of a full job. It is possible to do the training entirely online, but much nicer to work in branch with a cohort of people who you can buddy up with.

Thanks for these replies. Very useful info. I’m not currently working full-time so have some flexibility at the moment. Interesting to hear about counselling and Samaritans training being conflicting in some ways @Couchpotato3, could you say more about that. I’m probably looking at Parentline rather than Samaritans as a first step, but would be interested to hear more.

Just that there are some techniques used in counselling that don't work so well in a Samaritans conversation - the big difference is that in counselling you are working with someone who you know and it is generally face-to-face, whereas Samaritans conversations are usually anonymous. If a Samaritans caller feels uncomfortable, they may well put the phone down, and you can lose contact. For example, counselling can involve using silence to encourage someone to speak - people generally find silence uncomfortable and tend to fill it with speech. I'm not saying that Samaritans never use silence, but it is used sparingly and not in the same context. If you are trying to learn counselling techniques alongside Samaritans' methods, you are likely to find it quite confusing. There are plenty of people who do both, but I would recommend that you get comfortable with one or the other first, rather than trying to do both simultaneously. If you are looking for a career change, perhaps counselling is a better path for you, as you can monetise the skill?

I've done the introduction to counselling courses and thought they were fantastic. Really enjoyed them. You will be required to delve into your own mind/life though so if you have mental health issues or big problems in your life currently it's not always advisable to do the course.

Otherwise, one of the best things I've ever done.

Thanks @Couchpotato3 , this makes a lot of sense. I’m not really looking to go into counselling per se, but some knowledge of what is involved/skills required would be useful for what I’m thinking about. Similarly with services like Samaritans, although obviously not the same as counselling. Food for thought. I think both would be useful to me in different ways, but good to consider that both simultaneously might not work so well.

Thanks @LightSpeeds , this is good to hear. I think the intro course would be useful to me in my current role too, and in thinking about the changes I’m looking for.

I feel confident that I am in a good and resilient place myself. I have done quite considerable personal work previously, and understand why this is an important consideration.

Psychologist /Psychotherapist here.

I'd say

1. Do the courses - factor in level 2-4 at a minimum. Level 2, you won't have volunteering opps as much as most places won't take you as volunteer
2. While you're doing level 3 and 4, volunteering is Mandatory. Around 100 hours minimum counselling if you're doing cpcab.
3. If you want a paid job or Private practixe, You will most likely need bacp/etc accreditationm. This is minimum. 450 hrs volunteer (can be paid, but realistically paid is difficult without accreditation) after which you can apply for accreditation
4. After that you are more likely to find a job or more clients for private practice or be approved by insurance

Some things may be out of date but this is loosely it

Sorry just read properly and you don't want to go into professional. Apologies!