Changing career is a significant life decision that calls for careful consideration and planning, and transitioning into the field of counselling requires more thought than some other fields. Whether you are drawn to counselling because you are passionate about helping others, or you are seeking a more fulfilling career path, or both, there is a reason you were drawn to this path. But, does that mean it is time to become a counsellor? Due to the profound responsibility of supporting people through their mental and emotional challenges, there are a few things you really need to consider before taking that leap.

Self Reflection

Before you begin pursuing a career as a counsellor, make some time to reflect on your motivations, values, and personal qualities. Key qualities and skills that you need to nurture and develop as a counsellor are:

• Sympathy
• Patience
• Being non-judgemental 
• Strong communication and active listening skills
• Self-reflection

Understanding your strengths and limitations here is vital, because it will help you determine not only what you need to develop in order to best serve your clients, but also whether or not counselling aligns with your capabilities and aspirations.
Introspection can seem like a scary task to ask of a person, particularly when they are excited about the possibility of changing path. But, it doesn’t have to be a frightening experience. In fact, asking yourself these questions and reflecting on what you can bring to the table as a counsellor can be a really exciting exercise that may further cement your desire to retrain and pursue counselling as a career.

Education and Training

Before you can begin practising as a counsellor, you need to have a solid foundation of the subject both intellectually through education and in practice through training. Certain types of counselling require different training/education, for example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has different training and educational requirements to compassion-focused therapy (CFT). While these therapies may have qualities that overlap, and can co-exist as tools to use in the therapy room, they require training that is unique to their theory, frameworks, and practice.
Make sure you look into the training/educational requirements for your region, field, or chosen career. You may need to begin a part-time (or full-time) diploma or degree, so it is also advisable to consider how much time, resource, and energy you are willing to commit to completing necessary courseworks, internships, and other requirements.

Specialisation

Counselling is a massive field that encompasses many specialities that you could choose to pursue. From couples counselling to play therapy for children, there are so many areas that you could gain training in and either specialise or simply add them to your therapists toolbox of methods you can choose from to best help your clients.
Exploring different areas of specialisation to identify your interests, career goals, and potential future development is important, particularly as it might help you figure out where you want to begin. It is equally as important to consider tailoring your education and training to a specific niche, as this can boost your expertise and enhance your marketability as a therapist in your chosen field.

Practical Experience

Before you become a qualified counsellor, you will need to gain firsthand experience in counselling through internships, volunteer work, and entry-level positions. This will not only provide you with insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of a counsellor, but also allows you to develop your skills under close supervision, which will help you to become the best counsellor you can be.

Professional Development

When you are a counsellor, you will need to take part in continuous professional development (CPD), because it will help you to better help your clients, enabling a successful counselling career. CPD can be anything from keeping up to date with the latest research in a given area, to learning new therapeutic techniques. It is important that you continue to have supervision throughout your career, and so it is often advisable to pursue mentorship opportunities and to network, expanding your knowledge in order to enhance your practice.

Emotional Preparedness

Counselling is an emotionally demanding profession. Practitioners have to navigate client distress, trauma, and crises, every day. So, it is important to be able to assess how emotionally resilient you are, and what coping mechanisms you have in place to ensure that you are able to maintain your wellbeing while supporting clients through challenging circumstances.

Changing career paths to become a counsellor is a transformative journey that demands a lot of thought and careful deliberation. It also requires commitment, not just to the change, but to your continued development of professional and personal skills. If you’ve considered the factors above and feel that you are ready to get going along your path to becoming a qualified counsellor, you can find out more information about our Professional Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychological Therapy.