Counselling careers are a good option for many people. However, becoming a qualified counsellor takes a lot of time and money. Before you make the decision to enter a counselling career, you need to answer some questions to make sure that this is the right career path for you. If you are thinking about pursuing careers in counselling, here is a guide to becoming a qualified counsellor in the UK.
Entering a counselling career can be tough and take a long time. However, most people in counselling careers find them very rewarding. If you think that a counselling career is right for you, you should look into the local programs that are available. Having an idea of the counselling careers that you want to work in is recommended, because you can plan the courses that you need to take
The Qualifications Required to Become a Counsellor
The qualifications needed to become a counsellor in the UK will depend on the area that you are living in. The schooling for entering a counselling career is the same. A counselling career needs you to continue your education after you have completed your courses.
- Introduction to Counselling Skills
This is for people who have no counselling knowledge. These programs are about 30 hours long and provide information about counselling careers, which can help you find out if you want to continue with furthering your counselling training.
- Level 2 Counselling Skills Certificate
Level 2 is for people who want to build on their knowledge of counselling. This is the base certificate for many of the counselling careers, which teaches the essential communication and listening skills needed to become a qualified counsellor.
- Level 3 Counselling Studies Certificate
Level 3 is the next course that you need to take to become a qualified counsellor. This is the course that introduces the main theoretical approaches to counselling. It also shows you what you should expect when you are working as a counsellor. In many cases, you will need to volunteer during the course to develop your counselling skills. The volunteering can help you find the counselling career that fits you the best.
- Therapeutic Counselling Diploma
This requires classroom and on the job training. In most areas, this is a two-year course that trains you for the counselling diploma. During the course, you will work as a trainee counsellor to help develop the skills that you need to work as a counsellor. Some courses will have you do your own counselling sessions to help you gain insight to work in a real situation.
- Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills Diploma
Once you have completed a diploma in therapeutic counselling, you can take specialisation courses. These courses will open up more counselling opportunities. You can also take more education after completing these courses. The more courses you take the more options will become available to you. The extra education will also help you focus on building more skills, so you will be able to work with a wider range of clients.
