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Counsellor
Counsellors help people to explore difficulties, distress or loss of direction in their lives. They usually work on a one-to-one basis with clients, treating their problems in confidence. People may need counselling to help them cope with issues such as bereavement, anxiety, drug or alcohol dependency, debt or domestic violence.
Work activities
It can take just a few sessions for counselling to take effect, although in some cases it may take much longer. Before counselling starts, the counsellor and the client agree on the session’s methods, duration and fees. Matters discussed in sessions are generally confidential. Usually, the client and counsellor meet once a week. By listening carefully and patiently, the counsellor can begin to understand the difficulties from the client’s point of view. Counsellors ask questions to help their clients explore various aspects of their life and feelings, encouraging them to talk as freely and openly as possible. Sometimes clients release intense feelings, such as anger, anxiety and grief, which they may not have shown in front of their family or closest friends. Counsellors are trained to witness and accept these emotions without becoming burdened themselves. Counsellors must establish a trusting relationship with their clients. As the relationship develops, many clients are able to address aspects of their lives that they might not have thought about or felt able to confront before.
It is very important that counsellors do not give advice, make judgements or attempt to impose solutions on their clients. Their aim must always be to enable people to talk about and clarify their problems, and then to act for themselves to resolve them. The type of problems counsellors help people with depends on where they work. For example, some counsellors work in hospitals and general practices, helping people to cope with chronic or terminal illnesses, bereavement, and drug or alcohol dependency. Some companies ask counsellors to help them explore and manage the stress experienced by managers and other employees. Victims of crime or survivors of serious accidents who experience post-traumatic stress disorders may feel they need counselling. Schools, colleges and universities sometimes have counsellors to help students with personal, social and academic problems. Some counsellors are self-employed and are therefore responsible for tasks involved in running their own business, such as planning, finance and marketing.
Personal qualities and skills
As a counsellor, you need:
- An investigative mind.
- A strong interest in the way people think and act.
- A logical and methodical approach to problem solving.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- A calm, professional approach at all times.
- Strict respect for your clients’ confidentiality.
You should also be:
- A good listener.
- Logical and systematic.
- Patient, non-judgemental and objective.
- Able to build a trusting, constructive relationship with clients.
- Committed to helping people transform their lives in a positive way.
- Able to respect the client’s right to make their own decisions.
- Able to avoid giving advice or imposing solutions.
- Resilient and able to avoid becoming burdened by the difficulties you encounter.
Pay and opportunities
Pay rates for counsellors vary widely depending on whether they are employed or self-employed. Many counsellors are self-employed and therefore pay can be quite low to start with, although you can expect it to rise with experience. Employed counsellors could earn £28,000 to £50,000 per year.
Those who work full-time for an organisation may work a 35-37-hour week, including some evening or weekend work. Counsellors in private practice arrange their hours to suit themselves and their clients. Many positions are part-time and/or voluntary.
Competition for counsellor posts is strong, as there are more professionally qualified counsellors than there are vacancies.
Opportunities for counsellors occur throughout the UK. Employers include the NHS (in hospitals and general practices), schools, colleges and universities, alcohol and drug agencies and advice and community centres. Counsellors may work on telephone helplines, e.g., for ChildLine (from the NSPCC). Some agencies deal with specific issues; for example, Relate offers relationship counselling, and Cruse helps people cope with bereavement.
Many counsellors are self-employed and run their own practice, often from home.
Where are vacancies advertised?
Vacancies are advertised in the following places:
- Local/national newspapers.
- Employers’ websites.
- On the Government’s Find a Job service.
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy website.
Entry routes and training
To become a counsellor, you would usually need to have some previous work experience. which might include social work, advice and guidance, nursing or probation. You will also need to have some life experience, which could include dealing with issues such as bereavement, substance misuse, relationship or health issues. It is not essential to have experienced any of these conditions yourself but, as a counsellor, you will need to be able to understand how they affect people. There are no minimum qualifications needed to become a counsellor. At present there isn’t a national registration scheme for counsellors, but most employers would expect you to be a registered member of one of the main professional bodies, which include:
- National Counselling Society.
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
To become a member, you have to take an accredited training course, usually at diploma level, which includes face-to-face training and practical counselling experience. Becoming a member of a professional body means you agree to work to their code of practice and quality standards. The BACP offers online Continuing Professional Development modules, which can help keep your skills and knowledge up to date. Other professional bodies offer relevant training.
With experience and business skills, employed counsellors can progress to working on a self-employed basis.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Certain posts in counselling are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.
Qualifications
Accredited training courses are available at colleges and training providers across the UK. Details of courses are on the websites of:
- National Counselling Society
- British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Entry requirements vary. They are likely to include evidence of the ability to study at this level some knowledge and experience of counselling or advice work. With regards to academic requirements, you are likely need GCSEs in English and maths at the very least. Additional GCSEs and A-levels/equivalent will also help.
Adult opportunities
Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.
There is a range of part-time introductory certificate and diploma courses available, including some on an evening and/or weekend basis. Open and distance learning courses at various levels are available from a number of centres. A wide range of colleges and universities offer courses in Counselling at undergraduate and postgraduate level including with part time/flexible and distance learning study options.
