Becoming a Counsellor

Becoming a Counsellor

Am I suited to a career in counseling?

Many people assume that they are, because they enjoy helping friends with personal problems, or because people often confide in them, or because they like talking to others about feelings. But the most effective counselors may not be the best talkers. Rather, they tend to be excellent listeners, people who are willing and able to put their own opinions and needs aside in order to learn more about what another person is thinking.

How can I become a counselor?

To practice as a counsellor, you can complete a program of study in that field. Without credible knowledge and an understanding of the industry, it is difficult to build a career anywhere. If you want to be a counsellor, you should aim to obtain a credible qualification, membership of a professional body and professional indemnity insurance.

In many countries, there are few or no government requirements for length or level of study. This may change. Meanwhile, most counselling bodies and prospective employers do not tend to recognise counselling qualifications less than around 1000 hours of study (commonly a Diploma), so that is what you should aim at.

Example: Diploma in Counselling and Psychology, conducted by ACS Distance Education. These studies are recognised by the International Accreditation & Recognition Council and the Complimentary Medicine Association (UK).  click here for details

 You might, however, begin your studies with a lower level course, such as a Certificate in Counselling, and later upgrade to a diploma. For a range of "first step" options, click here.

Students who enrol in counselling courses include people who offer counselling in other areas of work (such as community workers, social workers, health practitioners, care workers or clergy), practicing counsellors who want to upgrade their qualification and knowledge; psychologists whose study lacked or was low in counselling training; and others who want to begin, or change to, a career in counselling.

If you already possess a qualification in psychology, education, health care, natural therapies, social work or community work, solid training in counselling can extend your career possibilities, and increase your ability to be of service to others.

Some universities may grant graduates of counselling courses credit towards a degree in counselling, psychology, or social work. The decision of whether or not to grant credit can only be made by each university, but it is certainly worth investigating this pathway into a relevant degree.

How do I choose a Counselling course?

An excellent course that is approved as a counsellor-training course by the Australian Counselling Association, Australia’s largest professional counselling body, is the Diploma in Counselling and Psychology, offered by ACS Distance Education. This 1500 hour course can be studied wholly by distance education, and will give you a very solid grounding in counselling skills and theory to set you on the road to your dream of helping others. Graduates of this course are also accepted into membership of the Complimentary Medicine Association in the UK.  click for details

What opportunities exist for counselors?

Some employers will only take on counsellors with counselling degrees. However, many opportunities exist for skilled and caring counsellors, and this seems to be a field in which the demand for good practitioners is growing, especially in rural areas, and in countries beset by ongoing strife and distress. Counsellors can find work in community and social support organizations, in schools, in natural therapies practices, in sports training and fitness or health facilities, in business organisations … in fact, in a wide range of areas.

Or if you are more enterprising, you can set up your own counseling practice, offering either support in one specific area, such as nutritional or financial counseling, or broader general counseling services.

If you have set your star on a counseling career, be willing to work your way up, perhaps to test and prove yourself by helping friends, and acquaintances, and colleagues, taking small counseling-related tasks, and developing a client base. A good counselor will often grow a business from word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients.

And learn to network….really network ….Don’t just to think of how contacts might benefit you, but how you might benefit each other. Many students of the ACS Distance Education counseling diploma have found that the contacts they made while studying their course and interviewing professional counselors resulted in counseling jobs. If you are sincere, committed, willing to learn, and have a genuinely caring, warm attitude towards others, able to listen to others without imposing your ideas or opinions, opportunities for employment may find you.

Mail Order Counselling Books  -click to visit our bookshop. All books offered here have been reviewed and selected by professional psychology and counselling staff at ACS Distance Education

WHERE TO START?

A wise decision is to commence with a course that lays a foundation, but is also achievable. Do not take on more than you are capable of finishing.

If you complete these qualifications, you will have achieved a point where you may be able to find relevant employment and start on a career path. The 600 hours of study involved in these certificates together with industry experience which you begin to develop, can then be used to obtain advanced standing in a higher qualification such as the Diploma in Counselling and Psychology.