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Starting a psychotherapist career at 50

  • 21-08-2020 6:51pm
    #1
    soapbloggs
    Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm getting a few grey hairs and nearly half a century old. I've a BA honours degree in something unrelated to psychotherapy. So I would prefer to study a psychotherapy postgrad course. However, reading the IACP website, it seems Counselling Psychotherapy accreditation afterwards is a very long process.



    Please could you clarify for me, is the required supervised counselling usually unpaid? So one might not be able to make an income for up to 7 years?



    With 15 years left to retirement (it could be less in a few years as it's being lowered in Denmark recently to 61, so might follow here), that 7 years of training will leave me with a short work life afterwards. Is there anyway to make a living whilst being supervised and how can one expedite the training? I'm all for becoming a quality counsellor but time is against me.


Comments

  • #2
    CBear1993
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,397 ✭✭✭CBear1993


    I'm 27 and I've considered the same recently :pac::pac:

    To be honest the 7 years definitely put me off, too many plans with mortgage for first house, children etc to work for free or for very little until im mid 30s.

    I am not in any way qualified to advise you nor do I work in the field, but I researched the course options a lot and the 4 year part time through PCI suited me best. And yeah what I'm getting is another 3 years after that. All unpaid or paid very little depending on who you get to do your experience with.

    You'd want to have a good bit of money on the side to be able to go down the 3 years unpaid/low paid work once you actually finish the 4 year part time degree.


  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    soapbloggs wrote: »
    Hi,

    I'm getting a few grey hairs and nearly half a century old. I've a BA honours degree in something unrelated to psychotherapy. So I would prefer to study a psychotherapy postgrad course. However, reading the IACP website, it seems Counselling Psychotherapy accreditation afterwards is a very long process.



    Please could you clarify for me, is the required supervised counselling usually unpaid? So one might not be able to make an income for up to 7 years?



    With 15 years left to retirement (it could be less in a few years as it's being lowered in Denmark recently to 61, so might follow here), that 7 years of training will leave me with a short work life afterwards. Is there anyway to make a living whilst being supervised and how can one expedite the training? I'm all for becoming a quality counsellor but time is against me.

    From talking to staff on a course I had looked at the supervised therapy you provide to clients after qualifying as a psychotherapist is at a lower student rate but definitely paid.


  • #4
    epiphone
    Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭epiphone


    I started a psychotherapy degree when I was 48 (so you are not too old!). I got my diploma after 3 years in 2014.

    As I had a business background I had no fear of starting a business as a sole trader as soon as I had my diploma.

    During 2014/2015 I did a further year and got my degree while seeing client in my private practice. I charged my full fee and I used these hours in my private practice for the 450 hours required for accreditation.

    You can practice without accreditation.

    You need to do approx 100 hours while studying for your diploma and these are voluntary with organisations or else low cost. Hire a room from other counsellors for €15 to €20 and charge your client you cost.

    During your training you will have do do Supervision every 10 client hours for your 100 hours so you need to factor in this cost.

    Things may have changed slightly since I did my course.


  • #5
    yasmina
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭yasmina


    soapbloggs wrote: »
    Hi,

    I'm getting a few grey hairs and nearly half a century old. I've a BA honours degree in something unrelated to psychotherapy. So I would prefer to study a psychotherapy postgrad course. However, reading the IACP website, it seems Counselling Psychotherapy accreditation afterwards is a very long process.



    Please could you clarify for me, is the required supervised counselling usually unpaid? So one might not be able to make an income for up to 7 years?



    With 15 years left to retirement (it could be less in a few years as it's being lowered in Denmark recently to 61, so might follow here), that 7 years of training will leave me with a short work life afterwards. Is there anyway to make a living whilst being supervised and how can one expedite the training? I'm all for becoming a quality counsellor but time is against me.

    I'm in a similar position to yourself soapbloggs and currently trying to figure out the best path to take. It seems like a minefield to me.

    I have a BA and a HDip in different fields so this would be a complete career change for me.

    I'm confused about whether I should be looking at at an MA, BA, MSc or HDip.
    And with the intention to start in September, I've left it all a bit late ...

    Have you managed to choose a course ?


  • #6
    sligolad1
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭sligolad1


    When I was looking into this before, I think the DBS part time course was the one that made most sense in my situation. No idea how it's regarded by those in the profession though. Haven't yet gone any further with it but it's been in the back of my mind for a while.


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  • #7
    minddoodle
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭minddoodle


    just a quick reply...
    as someone who has been through the training and come out the other side.
    as has been mentioned you can work as a counsellor, charging fees, as soon as you qualify, so that would be after your four years of training - you would then be building up hours working towards your accreditation.
    as soon as you are accredited you can then charge more for your sessions and you will then find it easier to get a job.

    However, I must emphasise that this is not an easy profession to find full-time, well paid employment with good conditions and benefits. HSE therapist jobs usually require a candidate to have a primary degree in either social work, nursing, psychology as well as being a qualified and accredited psychotherapist. I wish this was explained to me before I started on my counselling training many years ago.

    Many counsellors/therapists work part time at it, doing something else part-time also. However it's a wonderful job and very gratifying work.

    take a look at LinkedIn to see all the different ways people have come to a career in psychotherapy....there are so many options once you do your initial 4 year training...

    It's something you can do well into retirement - it becomes more of a passion than a job for many people who take it up later in life.


    hope that's helpful...


  • #8
    Reesy
    Registered Users Posts: 716 ✭✭✭Reesy


    minddoodle wrote: »
    just a quick reply...
    as someone who has been through the training and come out the other side.
    as has been mentioned you can work as a counsellor, charging fees, as soon as you qualify, so that would be after your four years of training - you would then be building up hours working towards your accreditation.
    as soon as you are accredited you can then charge more for your sessions and you will then find it easier to get a job.

    However, I must emphasise that this is not an easy profession to find full-time, well paid employment with good conditions and benefits. HSE therapist jobs usually require a candidate to have a primary degree in either social work, nursing, psychology as well as being a qualified and accredited psychotherapist. I wish this was explained to me before I started on my counselling training many years ago.

    Many counsellors/therapists work part time at it, doing something else part-time also. However it's a wonderful job and very gratifying work.

    take a look at LinkedIn to see all the different ways people have come to a career in psychotherapy....there are so many options once you do your initial 4 year training...

    It's something you can do well into retirement - it becomes more of a passion than a job for many people who take it up later in life.


    hope that's helpful...

    That's really helpful. Am not OP but am also considering this career. Thanks.


  • #9
    MarianneF
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭MarianneF


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058106587/starting-a-psychotherapist-career-at-50

    Hi there,

    Have you done your training? I am more or less in the same situation. About to turn 50, and completely puzzled on how to go about it. I have a degree (equivalent QQI level 8) in Psychology (done through a French university as I'm French) and naively thought I could just train 2 more years and get a Masters. The only place that would offer this is ICHAS but they are not accredited by any relevant body. Only QQI. So I'm considering doing another BSc or BA with IICP, which seems to have an excellent reputation.

    I would be very interested to know where you are now.

    All the best

    Marianne



  • #10
    flipflophead22
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭flipflophead22


    Hi all, similar to a few here considering the below course and if i like it continue onto the BSc...anyone studied through PCI?


    https://pcicollege.ie/counselling-courses/foundation-counselling-psychotherapy




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