Becoming a counsellor

bigguy201

Undervalued said:

bigguy201 said:

Hi Forum,

Bit of a long post but please stick with me, Dec 2019 I left a job at NHS 111 due to stress, I'd only been there a few months, as I was searching for jobs the pandemic started to take hold, Jun 2020 my mother had
a brain haemorrhage and as she was vulnerable person anyway, I became her full time carer, only been getting carers allowance since. My circumstances have changed were I can now get help with my mothers care, so I would like to progress myself back into paid work, and I am looking to become a counsellor (I've heard male counsellors are in short supply) and it's something am passionate about.
But the cost of some of the training courses are vast, having been only getting £69 a week, my money is extremely tight and I am wondering if anyone could advise me on how I could get help and support to achieve my new career path.

I am degree educated, graduated in 2:1 in business and management. I live at home supporting my mum. 

Really appreciate anyones help/advice.x 

Nothing of course stops you, me or anybody else setting up as a counsellor tomorrow and advertising for clients! It is not a regulated "profession".

There are two major "professional" bodies in the UK, the UKCP and the BACP and a whole raft of smaller ones. All of course exist, to some extent at least, for their own benefit. Both of the major bodies get, shall we say, a "mixed" press.

Assuming you are ultimately looking for a salaried job then it is really a case of finding out what qualifications appeal to organisations who employ counsellors and trying to obtain one of those.

If you are going down the self employed route then it is more a case of finding training that will give you confidence to practice, as it is unlikely that private clients will really know one qualification from another. 

At the very least you should have some professional indemnity insurance so it would be worth finding out what is necessary in order to get adequate cover.

There are good, professional counsellors out there. However that are plenty of complete charlatans too! 

Hence why I am seeking professional training/qualifications, I want to actually help people, as it's helped me.

bigguy201

elsien said:

Can I also add that you left your previous job due to stress. I would imagine being a counsellor could also be extremely stressful, depending on the client group that you do end up working with. Just putting it out there to consider your resilience and what your support networks would be. 

It is something I'd thought about, the thing is at 111 it was the pressure that they where putting us under, timed calls, back to back calls, when your dealing with such intense calls I couldn't cope with it back to back, 500+ people waiting etc. The actual dealing with the people wasn't the bit that caused me that much stress. But it is a doubt in my mind.

JReacher1

bigguy201 said:

JReacher1 said:

You could consider training to be a life coach? That’s similar to a counsellor. 

Other option is to get a part time job at somewhere like tesco to earn some money to enable you to afford the training. 

Lol, not sure I could be a life coach, can barely hold my own life together. 

Not 100% sure you’re suitable to be a counsellor then 😃

ginger_chocolate

MSE is great but really not a good place to ask for careers advice. There's some duff information on this thread already.

I would recommend that you read this  How to become a counsellor | Prospects.ac.uk and this  Becoming a Counsellor - CPCAB  The part-time vocational route is probably what you are going to be looking at.

To support yourself while you train I'd suggest looking at paid "helping" roles - citizens advice, benefits agencies, education providers, homeless charities, women's refuges, even a lot of call centre work if it's an advice line type service rather than a sales environment.

Regarding funding: as you already have a degree, your access to public funds for education is likely to be very limited (unless you live in Scotland, which I understand is more generous but I don't know full details) - the college or institution running your chosen course may well have bursaries, hardship funds or scholarship awards on offer that you can apply for - contact them and ask what's available. They almost certainly will have a payment plan that allows you to pay in instalments (this is how most people pay for their training). There may also be local organisations that will help to sponsor your studies if you do some work for them.