PCI course

Economic

moan wrote: »

The long-awaited statutory regulation is slowly but surely nearing us. If you look at the requisites for a professional recognition, it strongly discriminates between those currently in training and those who have been in the profession with antiquity ('grandparenting' category). It appears to me, that while seemingly fair on surface, this creates a significant employability gap for those currently in training, as according to what is outlined, they would have to spend many years before some recognition is accorded to them professionally. If there were at least some intermediary category that would grant some provisional status to a trainee, but this does not seem to be the case.

With all my due respect towards the older generation of professionals working in the field for many years, I do not see how this bureaucratically imposed generation gap is going to encourage young people into the profession, given that they would not be fully employable any time soon. Again, all this creates is a legal generation gap that would prevent current trainees accessing full recognition anytime soon. Particularly given that the quality of training has dramatically improved over the years on this island. What academic training used to be and what it is now, is beyond comparison: many a teacher would agree with that.

Penalising younger generation like this is not a great way forward. It'll generate new elitism and will de-motivate many.

Let me quote from the joint submission paper:

1. requisites for a PSYCHOTHERAPIST:


__

2. requisites for a COUNSELLOR:

I am strongly considering doing this degree:
http://www.pcicollege.ie/Diploma___BSc__Hons__in_Counselling___Psychotherapy/115

Do the above post mean that I would not be qualified after 3 years as stated on the site, I do actually intend doing the 4 years but it states I would be qualified after 3.

The course requires a substantial outlay in finances to cover course fees, books I'm sure and "minimum of 100 hours of personal psychological therapy".

I assumed the the PCI degree met all the requirements am I now wrong in thinking this.

On a side note and off topic, how have people who have done this course managed financially to pay course fee's, counselling etc. Its quite a large amount of money over the four years.

moan

Economic,
pci degree does meet the *current* IACP criteria. it is worth noting, however, that IACP has been a more lenient one among the various organisations here (unlike the irish council of psychotherapy organisations, namely IAHIP etc. which do have a much higher set of requirements). which means that if/when the statutory regulation comes into place, the new rules outlined in the proposal will gradually supersede the IACP rules, especially with public employers such as HSE. IACP is among the signatories of the above paper cited, thus she will abide by the new rules.

many of the courses with small schools that typically would meet IACP criteria, would be left out come the statutory regulation.

thus, programmes like that will be left in limbo, as they would not be sufficient by these new criteria: some other ones to top them up would b needed, no doubt. (not to mention the already tremendous financial strain on the students who undertake these courses: you are right there. i have no idea as to how they manage the fees+hidden costs, such as supervision, personal therapy and so on!)

and yet if we look at the 'grandparenting' category: for them a 600-hour academic requirement is waived (and many of them were trained by colleges such as pci) for 'counsellor' option, whilst unspecific postgrad is enough without the need for "500-800 hours of theory or methodology". that's exactly what i m referring to. it would create a certain animosity in the trainee camp.

123apple

I'm surprised you said 100 hours of personal therapy with the pci course economic. I recently attended an open night and it is still at only 50 hours. In fact this very issue raised concerns among alot of the people present including qualified therapists. 50 hours is very little personal therapy for a diploma/degree course. It is however, currently, the minimum you need for accreditation with iacp. When asked about it, the course leader seemed a little vague on it and said that certainly you would probably consider doing more than 50 hours yourself.

123apple

By the way, just to add, the leader at the pci college open night also said that pci are bringing in a masters programme next year, in light of possible stat. regulation. It will be another 2 years onto the degree. Overall, those at pci felt that it was unlikely that the benchmark for qualifications would be set at more than degree, but really who knows? Wonder why they are bringing in a masters then?

Economic

123apple wrote: »

I'm surprised you said 100 hours of personal therapy with the pci course economic. I recently attended an open night and it is still at only 50 hours. In fact this very issue raised concerns among alot of the people present including qualified therapists. 50 hours is very little personal therapy for a diploma/degree course. It is however, currently, the minimum you need for accreditation with iacp. When asked about it, the course leader seemed a little vague on it and said that certainly you would probably consider doing more than 50 hours yourself.

I know this is off topic and apologies if I should start a separate thread, if asked I will, but how much on average is personal therapy and supervision.

The cost is obviously a huge factor in my decision as is the possibility that requirements could change after I'd of started course.

It's a big time commitment, five years including foundation, but I'd be disappointed to discover goal posts were moved after I started!

Enhtie

Economic wrote: »

I know this is off topic and apologies if I should start a separate thread, if asked I will, but how much on average is personal therapy and supervision.

The cost is obviously a huge factor in my decision as is the possibility that requirements could change after I'd of started course.

It's a big time commitment, five years including foundation, but I'd be disappointed to discover goal posts were moved after I started!

If you wish to take up a Foundation Course in Counselling as a first step in this discipline the editorial by Sarah Browne in "Therapy Today" may be of interest to you. The full article can be viewed on their website. I think it is very important that people enter these very expensive training courses with a realistic view of the career possibilities at the end of a very long road.

She states that "As long as I’ve been editing this journal we’ve been receiving letters about the amount of people training to be counsellors (and the lack of jobs). The numbers have certainly swelled in recent years. In 2003 The Sunday Times reported that Britain ‘now has more counsellors than soldiers’. And last year I read that counselling had made it into a list for the top 10 most popular careers predicted for 2011. Yet the ratio of CPD adverts to job adverts in these pages has consistently been about 10:1.

There is clearly a lack of paid work or at least paid work that gets advertised. When I did my own training I felt uneasy when I realised that the training organisation were not making this situation clear to prospective students."