Counselling

mtankk

Hi all,

I am currently doing my Psychology degree. I have another degree in Business. I'm not 100% what i'd like to be "when I grow up". I am ..more than interested in Counselling. I get lost in the textbooks and just love theories etc.

However, I see that So many people want to become Counselling Psychologists. I do some voluntary work and on interviewing people for positions within the organisation every second one wanted to become a counsellor. Even here on boards, so many people interested in the field.

I know it sounds defeatist to say..what's the point if other people want the same job. i mean if someone is good at something, it will shine through with persistance....but I want to be realistic about my prospects too.

could anybody who went or is going down this route shed some light on the situation? Not so much the practical side counselling courses etc. but competition, job oppurtunities etc.

Odysseus

mtankk wrote: »

Hi all,

I am currently doing my Psychology degree. I have another degree in Business. I'm not 100% what i'd like to be "when I grow up". I am ..more than interested in Counselling. I get lost in the textbooks and just love theories etc.

However, I see that So many people want to become Counselling Psychologists. I do some voluntary work and on interviewing people for positions within the organisation every second one wanted to become a counsellor. Even here on boards, so many people interested in the field.

I know it sounds defeatist to say..what's the point if other people want the same job. i mean if someone is good at something, it will shine through with persistance....but I want to be realistic about my prospects too.

could anybody who went or is going down this route shed some light on the situation? Not so much the practical side counselling courses etc. but competition, job oppurtunities etc.

I don't know how much help I can give you: I'm in the same work position about 8 years now. However, apart from the lack of positions currently available, the other things you metioned where the same. i.e. everybody wanted to be a therapist or counsellor.

I was luckly I was working within the Addiction Services when I qualified. I remember when I decided that I was going to leave my position, that I was luckly enough to be able to apply for positions of a counsellor/therapist in organisations where I knew I wouold not take the position. How times have changed!!!

Even though I have stayed in the same position for the last 8 years, I have been able to move in and out of private practice when it suits me. I have also taught on a good few training courses over the years.

My current plan to is to carry on with the above whilst I gather up a few more qualifications on my way to my PhD. In time I would like to reduce my full time position to 3 days a week and focus a bit more on the other two areas above. However, I conscious of the fact that from your viewpoint, you could said I have established myself in the area, whereas your looking at getting your foot in the door.

Now there is a difference between a counselling psychologist and a psychotherapist, as I'm sure you are aware, so I can only give you the psychotherapist side. Personlly I would suggest carrying on with the psychology side of things it will open more doors for you, as it is more recognised than just a therapy Masters in general.

So the three areas I see open are clinical in a orgainsation, however, very few people are hiring. I'm seeing a lot of CVs being handed in to a community clinic where I do a few sessions a week, and to be honest the people have excellent qualifications, but are looking for voluntary work. With the private practice side of things it may take a long time to establish yourself and get regular work. However, with time you can add on extra areas such as supervision.

Then you have the education side of things, however, once again you need to establish yourself, and really you need a good bit of clinical work behind you as well.

I would not like to be starting out in this current climate, however, people are still seeking therapy, so there is some work out there. I know quite a few very good therapists who only see a few clients a week. They trained when they where older, so they had day jobs. They never left them and just see a few clients as a type of add on. I also know people who want to see more but for whatever reasons they have just not been able to establish themselves in private practice.

I don't know if that is of any help to you, and it is from a psychotherapy perspective, one of the psychologists can give the story from there side of things.