Introduction to Counselling - DFE

John_Brine

Hi,

I'm age 30 and have been looking into a career change for the last couple of years. I did a BSc but despite thinking it was for me, it took me a long time to realise that Science may not have been for me, as I had always assumed it was. For the last 6 years, I've been procrastinating working in online retail, not particularly happy with it, but not really sure what I'd like to do.

I had never considered doing psychotherapy/ counselling until the past couple of years, mainly after being exposed to it by going to my own personal therapy. After dealing with the initial problems for which I went to therapy, we began discussing my career and I realised that I've never been sure what I wanted to do and have never had a job that I was truly passionate about. The process of therapy has changed how I view many aspects of my life, how I relate to other people, how I perceive myself and my understanding of myself. As a result, reading psychology has been a keen interest of mine in the last couple of years. I can barely read anything any more unless it has to do with psychology/ psychotherapy.

However, having an interest in reading about something is a far cry from being equipped for the career or getting job satisfaction (as I discovered during my BSc). I have no experience in this field and understand that it's not something to get into unless you have a passion for it. So, I'd like to get a taste for it without making huge committments (of time and money).

I've looked at the courses in DBS & the Foundation courses in the Tivoli institute. However, they both require a bit of committment, which I'm not ready to make yet.

So, I was looking at the "Counselling-Introduction" course in DFEi (Dun Laoghaire Further Education institute). It's an 8- week course, 1 day a week for €115, which suits me at the moment.

However, I'm concerned that it may be so lightweight that it doesn't give me a good idea of what counselling is like, or that, as DFE is not an institute specializing in the area and it's not accredited that it may just not be very good.

Does anyone have any experience with this course or have any suggestions for a similar course elsewhere?

Thankyou!

dar100

Hi John,

Sounds like you found a good Therapist, not everyone is so lucky on their first attempt.

I have no personal experience of the institutes you have mentioned (I used others), but if you are going to undertake an introductory counselling course, it is probably best if it's a decent one, as mot degree programmes look for a 100 hour course, as a prerequisite (except DBS), I think.

Loads of threads on here about courses.

Good look