Icppd holistic counselling and psycotherapy

milliemurphy

Hi I was wondering if anyone has completed the three year part time diploma in this course. If so did you enjoy it? What have you done with your qualification? Would you recommend it?
I'm thinking of doing it for extra income and possibly full time but I don't want to waste my time and money on a course and get very little at the end of it... I've done that already!

endacl

My first question would be, why do you want to work in the field? If you hope it'll be a handy way of making an extra bit of cash - it won't be.

milliemurphy

No not just for cash, I already workin caring profession so it's a natural progression of sorts...but I need a second career and think this could be a good choice as I could work from home if needed... I have plenty of qualifications and no job so don't want to end up in the same situation a second time

endacl

I'd say from a (brief) look at the site, that the course looks a little flimsy. The inclusion of group process in 3rd year is a good thing. However, as many of the diploma mills that flood the sector do, the course only requires 50 hours of personal therapy over the duration of the course. This really isn't enough for most people to do any really useful work on themselves, and I suppose is intended to qualify the basic requirement laid down by the course's accrediting body, IACP. This personal work is in many ways the keystone that makes a training. As a comparison, the training currently offered in TCD demands weekly therapy for the first two academic years, and then twice weekly until accreditation (another two years). That's a total of over 400 hours. Quite a commitment! However, to work effectively as a practitioner, a very necessary one. Bear in mind that you can (and probably should) attend for more than the minimum requirement. Following completion of the academic portion of the course you will have to complete 450 hours of client work, and supervision. The client work will be paid at a trainee rate if you secure a placement that will pay you at all. Often the client fee will go back into funding the services. And you will have to pay for your weekly supervision.

I'm not trying to scare you away! Many of the private institutions are in the business of selling diplomas. Some are very good. Some not so. Its an idea, before applying, to go in and chat to them about what they are actually offering in terms of support and advice in starting a career. There are lots of courses out there, some good and some not so good. I'd research carefully before committing to one.

A couple of useful books that your local library should have to hand would be Holmes & Bateman's 'Introduction to Psychoanalysis' (Routledge), and Sandler's 'The Patient and the Analyst' (Karnac). It might also be no harm to try therapy yourself. Find an experienced practitioner, and explain why. You certainly don't need to have 'an issue' to experience the process and gain a great deal from it.

There are a lot of colleges releasing a lot of therapists every year. With statutory regulation (inevitably) coming down the line, you'll want to make sure you're best placed to meet that requirement in the future. It's by no means an easy way to make a living, and in many ways finishing a diploma is only the beginning. You'd probably be looking at another two years at least before you'd be considered 'qualified'. Its not just a matter of graduating and renting a room to work out of.

There's more I could advise on, but wouldn't post on here. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more detail.

dennynua

is the course any good for people with anxiety