If you are passionate about building a trusting and healing relationship with clients and want to improve the quality of life for others, considering a career in counselling may be the right route for you. Counsellors are trained to provide numerous types of assistance and guidance and deal with a range of emotional and mental problems such as anxiety, stress and depression.
Once you have completed the training and credentials needed to succeed as a counsellor, there are several areas that you can specialise in. To help you find the right career path, here are some of the options for individuals looking to pursue a career in counselling.
Understanding Counselling
Counsellors spend time with individuals in a safe and secure environment, giving them the opportunity to openly express their thoughts and feelings. Making a positive impact on somebody else’s life is one of the main reasons why people decide to pursue a career in counselling.
People seek counselling for numerous reasons, such as relationship struggles, dealing with the death of a loved one, or finding ways to improve their quality of life. The role of a counsellor is not to advise people on what to do, but rather the choices that they have available to find and make positive changes. Counsellors work with clients from all walks of life and backgrounds, helping to provide emotional and psychological support.
Essential Skills
No matter what sector of counselling interests you most, there are core skills and attributes that you must possess beforehand. As you will be dealing with clients with a wide range of issues, being able to communicate effectively, having excellent listening skills and being sensitive to their needs is crucial.
Counsellors must also have empathy and understanding for their clients and know how to react in a patient and calm manner. There are a wide range of emotional situations that you will find yourself in, so knowing how to relate to others and staying cool and collected is key.
Qualifications
There are several routes that you can take to become a counsellor. Whether you choose to study an undergraduate course, a college course, or volunteer with a local organisation, the more skills and experience you have behind you, the better. If you are interested in a Counselling Degree, it’s important that you understand what is expected of you. As outlined in Uni Compare’s guide, there are several courses that you can study, which can give you the tools needed to work as a counsellor. On Uni Compare’s website, you can also read student reviews, personal statement examples, and check university rankings to help you find the right establishment.
BA Counselling and Sociology
This course will provide you with the opportunity to obtain highly developed embedded counselling skills that you can use to help those in need, as well as giving you the foundations for additional therapeutic training. The course is practical, academic and reflective, combining theory with contextual and social considerations. Studying for a BA in counselling and sociology will teach you a variety of counselling and therapeutic approaches, helping to develop your communication skills with individuals in an empathetic, ethical and professional way.
BSC Psychology and Counselling
A BSC in psychology and counselling will provide you with a thorough understanding of the theory and application of both counselling and psychology. The counselling skills that you obtain throughout the course will give you a basis for additional study and training in the field. Students will learn about the main principles of psychology, research methods, and the psychology of social behaviour, as well as focusing on the theoretical facets of helping develop relationships. If you are curious about the range of human behaviours and want to make a real difference, a degree in psychology and counselling may be right for you.
BA Counselling and Theology
This degree is designed for individuals who are interested in training to practice as a clinician in a variety of settings, such as schools, the NHS, and hospitals. If you are dedicated towards becoming a professional counsellor, but you also need a well-laid foundation in theology and the bible, this course is the perfect pathway to go down.
Career Options
Once you have gained training, experience and qualifications, there are a variety of career paths that you can go into in counselling. The five specialty areas of counselling are:
- Bereavement
- Mental health
- Family therapy
- Substance abuse
- Sexual health
In addition to the specialties listed, there are alternative careers that you can consider after completing a degree in counselling, such as becoming a youth worker, mental health nurse, clinical psychologist, or counselling psychologist. The skills that you gain from counselling can be utilised in other careers like human resources, nursing, sports coaching, and nursing/healthcare.
If you want to make a positive difference to other people's lives, it’s important that you gain the right qualifications and credentials to work in the fields listed above.
