Counselling. A good career?

Hiya, I know this is an old thread but I wanted to give my 2 cents on the subject.. I'm about to embark on my level 3 and I absolutely love it! Like you, I am also nervous about finding (paid) work. However, although there are many volunteer counsellors it doesn't mean that everyone can access them.

Volunteer counsellors often work within a charity organisation which means they are often swamped with people that need help so a waiting list happens, and they have a limited time frame to see them. Furthermore, volunteering is often used by counsellor to gain more experience or because they want to supplement their actual work, so it isn't a "be all end all".

In the NHS the counselling is provided for free by counsellors who are paid, however yet again the sessions are cut short unless it is for a "major serious" reason.

I personally look forward to going self employed one day because I know there are people out there that desperately want longer than the 6 sessions often provided, and there are many people willing to pay for counselling. My current counsellor and many others I know are swamped with clients! So don't worry x

Hi,

Hi, just seen your post but I think I can offer some advice! To become certified by counselling organisations like the BACP you more often than not need to have completed an accredited postgraduate degree. In my case I’ve applied for the undergraduate counselling and psychotherapy degree at UCLAN (in Preston) with the intent to then progress onto their integrative postgraduate degree and become certified. This is the least convoluted way I could find and although time consuming it should be worth the time. Hope this helps!