Best Route to train as counsellor/psychotherapist

**Portia**

I really want to change careers and become a counsellor. I will have to study part time and already have an honours arts degree, having graduated 6.5 years ago with a degree unrelated to psychotherapy.
The path I am looking at is H.Dip in psychotherapy and counselling followed by a masters in psychotherapy with DBS. Has anyone else gone this route? Is there any other route which would leave me better qualified and/or with better employment prospects. My end goal is to set up my own practice.
Any help would be soooo appreciated as I am majorly confused!!!!
Thanks in Advance

**Portia**

If anyone has any advice that would be great....

JuliusCaesar

Have you tried doing a search on this forum? There might even be a sticky discussing training....

**Portia**

I have seen the sticky thanks but could not find any advice relating specifically to this course via the hdip route. If there is anyone out there who has completed it or could give me an idea of how it is regarded as a qualification that would be great. Thanks a mil

**Portia**

Bump

**Portia**

Well God loves a trier and all so I'm back again. I have a few more specific questions. I have read the stickies and I can't find the info unfortunately.
so my questions are;

1. I am interested in doing a H.Dip in Counselling and Psychotherapy followed by a masters in psychotherapy. the course I have been looking at is in DBS and is not accredited. How will this affect me when I eventually want to set up my own practice? Should I stay well clear?

2. What is the difference between a psychotherapist (I think this will be my qualification at the end - or will I be a counsellor?) and a counselling psychologist? Will I be frowned upon because I am not a psychologist and will it affect my employability and salary?

You can probably tell I am a bit confused still. I have just been to the DBS Open evening and was excited about the course but I really want to know whether my prospects will be good vs. other industry qualifications.

If anyone has five minutes to spare to answer my questions I would be very grateful. Even if you only have time to write very short one-worded answers I wouldn't be offended. Ok, have I grovelled enough?

hotspur

I don't know anyone who has done the H.Dip and then MA in counselling in DBS, maybe they are pretty new. Looking at it it seems like a fine way to go about training to Masters level in counselling and psychotherapy. I can see nothing wrong with it.

You would be comparing it with other Masters level part-time psychotherapy training in Dublin, of which there are several.

I assume that the route would not be a problem for getting accreditation with a body such as the IACP (the course itself does not have to be a course recognised by the IACP in order for you to get accredited, it simply has to satisfy the criteria, which it looks like it would). But I am guessing here. Further clarification of the ability of graduates in the past to get such accreditation should be sought with the course administrator.

A counselling psychologist is someone who has a degree in psychology and a postgrad in counselling psychology. The only current postgrad in it is TCD's doctorate in counselling psychology which is a 3 year full time €12k course requiring previous undergrad degree in psychology.

A counselling psychologist > a counsellor / psychotherapist. But there are few well defined career options for counselling psychologists above that of counsellors. It is not like clinical psychologists. In private practice it may just mean charging an extra tenner

Odysseus

I don't know what God has to do with it.

I only know of people who did those courses, I won't have known them well enough to know how they got on after it. However, I did a different BA and MA in DBS, well it was LSB when I was doing my BA.

It the teaching staff are still the same and I know some are, [is Barry O'Donnell still in charge of counselling and psychotherapy there?] I would say it is soild enough. I know people who did the MA where getting accreditated by ICAP a few years back, I don't know if that has changed.

Only from what I know of the staff and the college I would say their courses are as good as any of the other courses run by others colleges.

I know that is not a lot, but I haven't had much contact with DBS for a few years.

puddles and umbrellas

One quick question Portia - Do you want to work in a hospital/state mental health setting or work specifically in your own practice?

(I have to admit I know nothing about psychotherapy/counselling - I do however know a lot abut psychology if you need advice on that front!).