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Questions on becoming a counsellor, psychotherapist, or psychologist

Petek1

So, i'm considering a carrier as a counsellor,psychotherapist, or psychologist, how do you become one?

So if I go through college with a major in psychology, get a BA, or BSc in psychology, or a doctorate in psychology, what would i need to do to become a practitioner?

I've locked this thread as it seems that people aren't reading it for information first and we're answering the same questions over and over. PLEASE READ THIS THREAD FIRST, BEFORE POSING YOUR QUESTION. JC

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Torakx

Ye i know what you mean

I dont take much personal so being blunt with me is appreciated.I am here for answers!
Alot of my researching indeed has been bits here and there.As i came across something in myself that i was suddenly aware of i would start googling different solutions and then learning as much as i could possibly through pop psychology aswell as blogs and sites from some academics to figure myself out.Thats what i ment by personal development i suppose.

Had been doing this for the last few years and as i said it all recently clicked together for me and im doing amazing,its almost like a miracle.
The real meaning of personal development in psychology might be more detailed and greater in depth so your point is taken.Im just getting frustrated that its taken me til 30 to figure myself out even though i had a bit of a rough life in some ways.Im very eager to get started on a new line of work and exploring, but FEEL like everything is against me especially being out of work now too.
I will be taking your advice on a basic understanding as you said in another thread.My path is a short course maybe with a fas grant.Then hopefully that will get me a mature place in ucd or trinity as an undergraduate.
The hurdle at the moment appears to be five thousand euro for step 2.
Theres probably no answer to that one only...get a job somehow.

For now though im finding this very helpfull http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/#brain-and-cognitive-sciences
Appreciate any other links to basic information.Even really really basic stuff.As long as its applicable il probably read it.
Thanks for your patience too.I know im a pain in the ass

hotspur

Torakx why do you think you need to pay €5k for an undergraduate degree in UCD or TCD? If you're genuinely considering it I think you need to use your Googling skills to find out about free fees. And the fact that you are on social welfare means you should also be looking into back to education allowances.

kitkat.3b4t

Odysseus wrote: »

Hi PensiveJane,

I recommend that people get a psych degree

Although I agree that a psychology degree is a great foundation for psychotherapy, the academic requiments are very high. For your psych degree to be worth the paper its written you need to get at least a 2.1 classification which means an average of at least 70% in all exams etc and this only qualifies you to apply for postgrad places. There is a lot of competition for these courses so a 2.1 degree doesnt guarantee anything. After graduating with a 2.1 degree in psychology in 2006, I realized that this was only the start and although I had found it really hard to maintain high grades and complete the degree, I was effectivelly still not qualified for anything.

Torakx

hotspur wrote: »

Torakx why do you think you need to pay €5k for an undergraduate degree in UCD or TCD? If you're genuinely considering it I think you need to use your Googling skills to find out about free fees. And the fact that you are on social welfare means you should also be looking into back to education allowances.

Thanks for the reminder.I keep hitting mental blocks with finding a course i feel i can apply to.the fact i use the word feel should say alot lol.I am not confident using forms and organising these kind of things.
A month or so ago i thought i needed volunteering experience to get into the undergraduat course as a mature student.Then that gets forgotten as i started looking at courses relating to fees and grants.Im just too unorganised with this stuff to find my way it seems.
Ive heard there is even a county council grant possible,but i have such an unstable life monetarily speaking that i could be homeless after the next budget cuts in january.This doesnt fill me with confidence doing a 3 year plus course either.
Back to education allowance i think effects me in different ways,dont remember what it was that put me off when i read about it,but my future security lik a roof over my head probably conflicted somehow.Im probably just plain wrong but its how i FEEl at the moment.
Im still feeling really good compared to a month ago and keeping very busy though.Thats why im taking so long to decide anyway.I am a perfectionist at heart and find it hard to commit to something unless i can fully visualise and feel safe that its possible for me to do.
There is probably no helping me to be honest and i shouldnt be pestering you folks.I will have to just take a leap of faith soon.
On the upside i just heard trinity college have a free access program that takes in 20 students a year.So that might be a good starting point as they cover psychology in that among other topics.

Odysseus

kitkat.3b4t wrote: »

Odysseus wrote: »

Hi PensiveJane,

I recommend that people get a psych degree

Although I agree that a psychology degree is a great foundation for psychotherapy, the academic requiments are very high. For your psych degree to be worth the paper its written you need to get at least a 2.1 classification which means an average of at least 70% in all exams etc and this only qualifies you to apply for postgrad places. There is a lot of competition for these courses so a 2.1 degree doesnt guarantee anything. After graduating with a 2.1 degree in psychology in 2006, I realized that this was only the start and although I had found it really hard to maintain high grades and complete the degree, I was effectivelly still not qualified for anything.

To be fair I have to agree with you Kitkat, I think the psych degree is the best long term option, but for other a psychotherapy degree would be the best option as they can at least start workiong at that point. Though they still need to aim for the 2.1, I needed a 2.1 for my masters, the clinical masters required a 2.2, but the research one required a 2.1.

PensiveJane

Hi all,

Thanks very much for the help. I'm dreading this decision, I've only a few months before I've to apply for courses and haven't decided on anything yet!

(By the way, anyone with advice on Mature Student applicants, grants etc, feel free to impart on me anything that you know!)

After your suggestion of doing a Psych degree, Odysseus, I've started to think about it. I hadn't put much thought before into doing a broader, more general undergrad degree first. I was considering something specific, like psychotherapy or psychoanalysis etc because I wanted to have the future career as a goal to get me through it (I know that sounds silly, but it seemed to motivate me a bit), but it would make sense to do something that gives me a broader choice afterwards. I guess my fear was that I have studied Psychology before and dropped out so there's a chance that it could happen again... but then the thing is, I was only studying it as just one of three subjects in a BA so I wasn't specifically focussed on it, and also the timing had been wrong. I think another fear is that with a Psychology degree, I might be put off by having to study some things which might not be particularly relevant to what I'll be doing in the future. As an example, I don't have a huge interest in the biology of the brain etc, so having to study all of those medical terms etc doesn't really excite me. I remember sitting in the library trying to study for an assignment or an exam, reading about how our eyes work and thinking to myself, 'This is so irrelevant to my future.' Whereas I imagine a degree in Psychotherapy to be more focussed on... well... learning how to provide psychological therapy to people! Less about the body and more about the person and their behaviour and thoughts and emotions.

What do you guys think of all this? Does anybody think that it's worrying that I'm not hugely interested in the science part? Is that an indicator that I shouldn't do Psychology/Psychotherapy, but do something like Social Work instead? I'm just not so sure that Social Work is the road I should take. It just doesn't seem to fit, in my mind.

I have another question. I was mucking about on the internet and decided to get in touch with IACP and a few other associations to ask about accreditation, why they recognise some psychotherapy courses over others etc, and I got speaking to a lady from ICP (Irish Council for Psychotherapists) who, after I explained that I was trying to choose a course, directed me to this web page and suggested that I look into these 5 disciplines to see if I find any of them particularly interesting, so that I might be able to look into a course relevant to my interests. I think this is probably quite important as I have never thought before about what kind of approach I would take as a psychotherapist, whether I would follow one specific discipline or the other etc, and I don't want to end up in a course that deals with a discipline that isn't my style or something.

So... I was just wondering if anyone would mind telling me which of these disciplines you would be most interested in and why? Does anyone have a specific like or dislike for any particular discipline of psychotherapy and why? Does anyone have a lot of experience in any particular discipline, and could you give me an idea of what it is like, the methods you use, the kind of issues you deal with? (For example, I have come across a course that is specifically for dealing with addiction, and it has made me think about whether or not there would be different methods required for different types of client etc...)

Here is the webpage:
http://www.psychotherapy-ireland.com/disciplines/

Again, thanks to all of you who reply. You're an absolute lifeline to a very lost-but-determined-to-find-her-way girl!

X Jane

P.S. I have found a thread on here somewhere that was in the Psychology section, where people have just been posting a quick bit about themselves and what field of psychology they work in etc. Does anyone think that there would be any problem with me posting that last paragraph from this note onto that other thread, as a lot of people in that group would see it and I could find out a lot from them?

Odysseus

PensiveJane, I guess what I'm saying is a long term plan I would suggest to somebody would be the Psych route, even if they then train and work as a counsellor or psychotherapist. Having the Psych degree just give you a better edge than not having one when it come to further training.

However, if you are interested in a certain area of psychotherapy for example you metioned psychoanalysis, go for it. However, the two BA's I know of that deal mostly with psychoanalysis do not supply any type clinical training. When I was doing my degree in psychoanalysis I started my own clinical training under supervision as a therapist, I doubt you can do that now. So if you go for one of those degrees you would be in the same position as doing a psych degree, except the psych degree would open a few more doors. Clinically having a degree in psychoanalysis/psychotherapeutic studies does not qualify you for anything except post-grad training.

The other viable option is to do either a degree or diploma in counselling or psychotherapy which includes a clinical training, so when you finsh that you can at least work whilst your doing your post-grad training.

I'm a psychoanalyst, I done a 12 introduction to psychology course about 14 years ago, I was introduced to the work of Freud there. It made sense to me, and I started to read more, the following year I started a BA in Psychoanalytic Studies, which led to my MA in Psychoanalysis. So to answer your question that is how I got started.

If you decide to go for a psychotherapy degree DBS and PCI college would be good starting places, their training degrees are give you an introduction to a wide range of psychotherapy models. Does that make things a tad clearer?

Odysseus

PensiveJane wrote: »

Hi all,

P.S. I have found a thread on here somewhere that was in the Psychology section, where people have just been posting a quick bit about themselves and what field of psychology they work in etc. Does anyone think that there would be any problem with me posting that last paragraph from this note onto that other thread, as a lot of people in that group would see it and I could find out a lot from them?

I can't see why not, you mean the Introduce yourself thread? Either that or just post a bit about yourself.

Also just to add I work mostly in the area of Addiction, my private work at the moment is teaching, whilst putting a course together is a lot of work, it is not a big of a committment as taking on private clients.

KatieDot

hi all,

just wanted to post because I've finnished a psychology degree and admit that I made a mistake...I wanted a broad base and so studied psychology (70%) with sociology (30%) for a BA, I graduated in 2009 with a 1:1. Now, Ive had to do a conversion with the open univeristy (another year and a half studing to convert my degree to pure psych!). I've also got a first class Masters in social care and am trying to get work (was temp-ing but hse layoffs have hit me hard). I volunteer and always have but that is also competitive to get into. I work a desk job fulltime to pay for all my study.

For those of you out there trying to get into psychology. its amazing, and i wish you luck. but, word to the wise, its not a straightforward position, nor is it easy. The courses are hard and finding work, even unpaid, is harder. I love it but it takes a lot.

So...long tale short...research the end goal, to at least have a fague idea of where you would like to go and how that might happen, before you start is the advice that i would give! And remember,a BA takes 3-4 years, a masters 1.5 and most working in the field study much more on top of that :-)

good luck
(ps hope i dont sound patronising, just wish I had known how competitative the 'industry' was and prepared myself a bit better before i had gone down the 'psychology' path!!!)

Kindnessnow

I'm studying Counselling and Psychotherapy in NCPII. Im truly loving the course although I am finding it very hard , both work load and emotional baggage that gets brought up with each new module. The college seems to be very proactive and has the finger on the pulse. They also offer some great masters programes. They have now set up their own governing body. So far so good...............:)

JuliusCaesar

Kindnessnow wrote: »

They also offer some great masters programes. They have now set up their own governing body.

This might be considered seriously morally and ethically suspect.... to run a course and then accredit their own ex-students.

For a profession where ethics is extremely important, there are an awful lot of unethical and money-grabbing 'therapists' around; some unaccredited, some accredited. I have heard some awful stories from clients.

Most professional organisations are neutral and not allied with any particular institute. There are far too many of these professional bodies in Ireland. We have a small population, and a smaller population of therapists/counsellors. One should suffice for all counsellors - instead there are I think 4 or 5 at this stage.

.

Uhuru

You might also want to consider the market. Currently, in Ireland there are many counselling and psychotherapy programs churning out hundreds of graduates every year. Most of these are legitimate. However, the field is now saturated with more and more counselors chasing the same shrinking clientele. To enter this field would need to be a burning desire of yours to make it a wise choice.

Odysseus

Uhuru wrote: »

You might also want to consider the market.

A very valid point, and have stated here I would not like to be starting out again, but with saying I know lots of people who end up in associated fields and either work their way up or over time develop a small practice as a second job. So I saying I would still go for it, with some minor chages.

In the same way a lot of us lecture part time, a degree is never wasted imo, some of the people I trained with ended in in positions like advertising or HR. This is even truer if you do a psych degree as a starting point.

Laydee

Hi,

I have a friend looking to study psychology now, he is planning to apply as a mature student so will do the foundation course to boost his chances getting into the university course. He is almost 30 but when he was younger (19) he was caught up in some trouble (he didn't explain so I don't really know what).
My question is, is garda clearance required for the foundation course or the university course?

elfan

Hi Laydee,
I studied psychology at under-graduate level in Ireland and no police clearance was required.
I then went to the UK for post graduate level and both courses I have been on required a police CRB. Plus many psychology jobs in the UK reguire you to get an up to date CRB check done to work there (e.g. mental health hospital).
I'm sure other posters will be able to clarify whether police checks are involved in post graduate study/psychology jobs in Ireland.

Odysseus

Laydee wrote: »

My question is, is garda clearance required for the foundation course or the university course?

It can vary, what you are talking about it iime and distance. The longer the person is away for the act, I know some people in varying aspects of the HSE with criminal histories some quite serious. How been say ten years for the serious stuff, you can show person improvenment and of coure the fact that the person have diffiferent way of life, meaning not convictions in those ten years,

As under-grade I wouldn't it as a probem , bit beast to be honest from the other starte.

Hope that helps you friens a bit.

Laydee

Thanks for the replies, they are very helpful.
As far as I know whatever he was convicted of just carried a caution & a fine or something, I think it might have been for having hash on him. He's 10 years older now & a completely different person. I just wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to run into difficulty. I'm doing nursing at the moment & there's garda clearance requirements for every aspect of my career so I was worried that it might be similar for psychology.

He plans to do the introduction course & at a glance it seems that Plunkett college & Dun Laoghaire college have the best course content. It might be a long shot but do you know anything about the introduction courses & which ones are considered better? I asked the head of psychology in my university & she recommended the Plunkett college one & Dun Laoghaire seems to be pretty much the same.

grathu

To answer your question or not, i.e answer it for your self! Why do you want to become a councilor? What is it that you want to find the answers to? I have found in my profession as Social Care Worker that some wanna be councilors are looking for answer to their own past experiences, they seek to find the answers in their clients, which when you think of if is '****ed up' as you are using others to resolve your own issues. Think about it hard and long, reflect upon it and should you feel the same after this precess then peruse a career in it. All the best, grathu.:)

sambuka41

grathu wrote: »

Why do you want to become a councilor? What is it that you want to find the answers to? I have found in my profession as Social Care Worker that some wanna be councilors are looking for answer to their own past experiences,

Yeah I've been working as a Social Care Worker for a few years now and have met more than a few of these folks!! But its for this reason that personal therapy is part of the training, to stop people bringing their own issues into the session. Its also very helpful for understanding the theory itself when you've lived through it!

Odysseus

Laydee wrote: »

My question is, is garda clearance required for the foundation course or the university course?

crotalus667

I have read this thread and am still confused , I am looking to study to be a councillor (to late to start this year so have plenty of time to get ready for next year) in particular I have an interest in bereavement counselling , but I am having trouble finding places that offer this course does any one know of some where (accredited) offering it ???

I would also like to do psychology as has been mentioned before in this thread iirc it is a good idea to have it as a base , so ideally some where that offers them both , although 6-8 years of studying at 28 is a bit daunting to me

Cheers
Chris

stuf

grathu wrote: »

Why do you want to become a councilor? What is it that you want to find the answers to? I have found in my profession as Social Care Worker that some wanna be councilors are looking for answer to their own past experiences,

stuf

Katie Kaboom wrote: »

Hi Stuf, I'm just wondering where you are studying and what you needed to qualify for the course? Do you like it there?

Just noticed this now. I did the HDIP in counselling and psychotherapy at DBS. My educational background is in physics up to PhD level and then working mostly in Software. The requirement for DBS is an honours degree in any subject and the HDIP is an Honours level course too. People on the course came from all sorts of backgrounds but psychology grads probably dominated.

I found all the practical elements of the course to be fantastic but some of the lecturing a bit ropey but passing the exams in these modules was pretty straightforward. THe harder exams were the ones where you have to bring some of your own experience and thoughts in and the good old reflective essays which any therapy course abounds in.

I've always held the belief that you have to take a lot of responsibility for your own education at third level and that I was more concerned with learning which I did more of through assignments than exams.

The practical training I received was very much dependant on the luck of the draw of getting great trainers which was very much luck of the draw and I think that would be the case wherever you study

I'm currently taking a break of at least a year before the MA because of financial constraints which has just been complicated by being laid off. debts will now be paid off but the commitment I'll have to give to a new job may not allow for doing an MA including client work and supervision.

Odysseus

grathu wrote: »

To answer your question or not, i.e answer it for your self! Why do you want to become a councilor? What is it that you want to find the answers to? I have found in my profession as Social Care Worker .......

I don't know but after five year and conting of pertsonal therapy as part of my training I would say most people at some level most people are looking to asnwer their own questions, when they start out. There is nothing messed up about that as long as the person uses their personal therapy for that purpose not their clients time. This thread is here to give practical advise to people not act like the warning outside the oracle of Dephli Know thyself.

It is an important part of a persons training but I personally think it is outside our brief here. I have found the same in a lot of semi-therapeutic roles, at least with psychotherapy there is a place to look at that. Which is why I know plenty of lads who trained as psychoanalyst's only to discover after 5 or 6 years that its not the job for them

stuf

Odysseus wrote: »

I'm just wonder if you don't mind answering; how did you find the course? My understanding if you can start seeing clients now if you desire, under supervision of course, once you have the HDip.

I did my BA in LSB, and my MA in DBS same building same everything, except the clinical aspect in St Vincents Hospital. So It has changed a lot since my time, I finished up there in 2002. How would you rate it, did you enjoy it and is there much of a psychoanalytic input in the HDip. No agenda just out of interest as I still know a lot of the staff there.

However, when I started there it was like one big family in the psychoanalysis/psychological classes. I know things have changed a lot since then, in terms of student care, which is why I'm interested; if you don't mind me asking?

They didn't have the counselling and psychotherapy courses there when I studied there. However, I had a very positive experience there.

I suppose the ability to start practice under supervision really depends upon insurance. What is stated upon gaining the HDip in addition to your qualification is a recommendation from your trainers of "suitability to begin clinical training". The structure is similar to the BA in C&T in DBS where the transition from years 2 to 3 has the same required recommendation.

I've said a few times here that some things were of variable quality but my skills training was nothing short of brilliant. Our principal trainer had us fishbowl'ing for most of first year and was a hard task master when it came to self reflection and self assessment. The other group in my year didn't do the same amount of practical work and spent more time in theory work during those lessons. They seemed less comfortable with the idea of seeing clients by the end of the course. I don't think this level of chance is particular to DBS. The things that mattered in my experience were taught well and the things that you can just as well get from books any time were a bit ropey.

We had two psychoanalysis modules. The first year one tried to crowbar in too much Lacan at a fairly flimsy level which didn't do much for anyone's understanding. In the second year we concentrated on a couple of Freud case history with some papers by Lacan and Cormac Gallagher which made a lot more sense.

Overall, some of the background organisation left a lot to be desired by the core educators were of good quality and committed

Odysseus

crotalus667 wrote: »

I have read this thread and am still confused , I am looking to study to be a councillor (to late to start this year so have plenty of time to get ready for next year) in particular I have an interest in bereavement counselling , but I am having trouble finding places that offer this course does any one know of some where (accredited) offering it ???
I would also like to do psychology as has been mentioned before in this thread iirc it is a good idea to have it as a base , so ideally some where that offers them both , although 6-8 years of studying at 28 is a bit daunting to me

Cheers
Chris

As pointed out get a general training first and then look at an area your interested in. That time passes quickly believe me. It will not take 6-8 yrs 3 for your degree and depending on you choice of masters one to two years. Don't forget to add in personal therapy and supervision; your fees will not cover these.

I trained as a psychoanalyst, which is common knowledge here. My Masters was a research one, two yrs 55,000 words on dual diagnosis. Most of my HSE work is in the addiction services so you could say I specialise in addiction. However, I feel I am qualified enough to deal with any psychotherapy referral, due to the fact I had a wide and varied training.

The same can happen in the addiction field which is why I became interested in dual diagnosis. Just because a person present with one thing doesn't mean something else significant is not there too, and I believe you should be able to deal with the psychological side of it. I often used too get referral from a local bereavement service; they stopped when I stated it was unprofessional. I was often asked "I have been seeing this client for bereavement issues, and some addiction issues have come up. Could you see them from the addiction" and the person would continue with the bereavement therapy.

My answer was always no. Yes I will see them, but only if you finish with them. Seeing two therapist is just bad practice and un-professional in my opinion.

I'm leading up to the point that if you are going to be a psychotherapist train as one, and if you have a special interest in an area train in that. Just because I work in the addiction area, does not mean my work revolves around that, people present with bereavement, sexual abuse, and mild to severe criminality issues the list just goes on. I devote a lot 3 hour lecture on how wide the area is in a course I teach, to show students the need to train extensively as possible.

I hope that doesn't put you off, but I just trying to point out the bigger picture. What happens if you train solely in bereavement and a person presents about that but you then discover they have an anxiety disorder or phobia or even a psychotic diagnosis. You can't know everything about everything but I think we need to be as widely trained as possible under the remit of psychotherapy and the interventions open to use as professionals.

Sorry for the long post and I hope it doesn't put you off. Keep coming here and use it to ask as many questions as you need. I hope this helps a bit.

Odysseus

stuf wrote: »

I suppose the ability to start practice under supervision really depends upon insurance. What is stated upon gaining the HDip in addition to your qualification is a recommendation from your trainers of "suitability to begin clinical training". The structure is similar to the BA in C&T in DBS where the transition from years 2 to 3 has the same required recommendation.

I've said a few times here that some things were of variable quality but my skills training was nothing short of brilliant. Our principal trainer had us fishbowl'ing for most of first year and was a hard task master when it came to self reflection and self assessment. The other group in my year didn't do the same amount of practical work and spent more time in theory work during those lessons. They seemed less comfortable with the idea of seeing clients by the end of the course. I don't think this level of chance is particular to DBS. The things that mattered in my experience were taught well and the things that you can just as well get from books any time were a bit ropey.

We had two psychoanalysis modules. The first year one tried to crowbar in too much Lacan at a fairly flimsy level which didn't do much for anyone's understanding. In the second year we concentrated on a couple of Freud case history with some papers by Lacan and Cormac Gallagher which made a lot more sense.

Overall, some of the background organisation left a lot to be desired by the core educators were of good quality and committed

My own understanding would be having a supervisor willing to work with you would sort that out, I'm just saying as it would be away of getting a few hours of clinical experience under you belt. For what it's would I have thousands of hours of clinical experience, but I did not do a clinical training as such. Yes I maganed to get a clinical aspect as part of my Research Masters, but I was in a clinical environment when I started my BA in Psychoanaltic Studies and started to see clients under supervision. I was qualified as a counsellor before I started my MA and pure analytic training. I know a number of clinicians very experienced who never done a formal clinical training, though these guys would be now PhD level.

It's a pity you only have two inputs but you where very luckly to have Cormac as a lecturer, he trained under Lacan as you may know and is the man who brought Lacanian Analysis to St Vincents and Ireland.

Thanks for your response.

stuf

Odysseus wrote: »

My own understanding would be having a supervisor willing to work with you would sort that out, I'm just saying as it would be away of getting a few hours of clinical experience under you belt. For what it's would I have thousands of hours of clinical experience, but I did not do a clinical training as such. Yes I maganed to get a clinical aspect as part of my Research Masters, but I was in a clinical environment when I started my BA in Psychoanaltic Studies and started to see clients under supervision. I was qualified as a counsellor before I started my MA and pure analytic training. I know a number of clinicians very experienced who never done a formal clinical training, though these guys would be now PhD level.

It's a pity you only have two inputs but you where very luckly to have Cormac as a lecturer, he trained under Lacan as you may know and is the man who brought Lacanian Analysis to St Vincents and Ireland.

Thanks for your response.

I do think about the idea of getting some client work in with a supervisor but i would generally be keen on starting to see clients within the support structures of the course.

just to clarify that I didn't have Cormac Gallagher as a lecturer - was just that some of his papers which referred to the case studies were used for a Lacanian perspective.

G86

Hi Guys

I'm currently looking at doing a part-time HDip conversion course in Psychology, with a view to practising in Psychotherapy. At the moment though, my application form isn't going to look great! My degree is a 2:1 in Media Production Management, and I currently work in Advertising, so it's not related at all. Also, the only halfway related experience I have is in teenage mentoring which I've done for 12 months. Also, financially I'm questioning if I can afford it, as I'm going to be paying off my loan for my original degree for another 3 years yet also. Hence why I'm looking to study part-time.

From my own experience with friends/counselling I personally wouldn't feel qualified to begin working after the HDip, I'd like to at least get to MA level with supplementary courses in specific areas i.e NLP, CBT. Does anyone know if it's possible to get grants to cover your fees for a part-time Masters? I might look at doing the HDip privately; it depends on whether I can get the money together in the next year, but I definitely couldn't afford to pay for a Masters on my own. I just want to make sure I don't start a line of study that I can't follow through because of finanical constraints.

Also, I've had a few issues myself that are known to lend themselves to seeking a career psychotherapy, and I'd like to have these completely resolved before I'd begin my training - so that I can be sure that I want to get into it for the right reasons. For this reason I've been thinking of perhaps doing a foundation course for a year in the meantime, but I'm wondering just how worthwhile these course are?

Again, finances are an issue, so I have to think long and hard about what path I take. My degree study was a hellish period, due to finance constraints, and I really don't want to do that all over again. So part-time really is my only option, along with full-time work. This however, is also worrying me, as I've heard that the workload on the part-time DBS programme specifically is the same as the full time workload?

Thanks a million for any advice, it's all just looking pretty daunting right now!:)
G

meanpeoplesuck

G86,

I went to an open night for DBS and the lecturer there told me that they were aware that most people studying the HDip in psychology part-time were also working full-time. She said that she was sure the workload was manageable for someone in full-time employment.

However a lecturer from the college is obviously going to sugar coat things. I've also heard that the part-time course is very tough going and it's a worrying thought. I'd be interested to hear more on this from other people.