Working in various settings
As a counsellor or therapist you will have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings across the statutory and voluntary sector, as well as through private self-employed work. This may include:
- AIDS agencies
- Alcohol and drug agencies
- Churches
- Companies with employee assistance programmes (EAP)
- Disability organisations
- NHS
- Private practice
- Prison / Probation services
- Schools, Further education and Higher Education institutions
- Voluntary organisations / charities
- Youth services
Within the statutory sector, the NHS for example, the government are trying to employ an additional 10,000 staff trained in CBT for specially designed centres, as this treatment is regarded as the most effective for a wide range of mental health difficulties. Counselling within the NHS can be wide ranging; dealing with anxiety through to addiction etc. You may decide to seek employment with adult services, or within child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
As a counsellor you may decide to work in the voluntary sector. Research shows that there are a high number of counsellors who work voluntarily. You may decide to volunteer with an organisation such as Samaritans, who run a national telephone helpline, services for 14‐16 year olds (DEAL) and a listening scheme for prisoners; or you may like to specialise in working with children and volunteer with the NSPCC ChildLine service.
As part of a local NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) or voluntary organisation, you may also decide to work with offenders within a prison setting. Research states that prisoners are “seven times more likely to take their lives than an average person in the UK”. Those serving sentences may be experiencing a wide variety of issues, from
drug and alcohol problems, to personality disorders (e.g. anti‐social personality disorder). Working in this area is challenging, and it is unlikely that you will be able to work in this field straightaway; many organisations require a high level of training and practical experience before allowing you to begin work with offenders.
Alternatively, you may decide to become self‐employed and set up your own practice. This option is favoured by many counsellors as it provides them the flexibility to work when it suits them, and to take on as many clients they feel able to. You also have some more flexibility in the clients you see; you may find that you have more experience in working with bereavement, work‐related stress and anger management, and feel less able to work with clients suffering from problems with addictions, personality disorders or eating disorders. In your advertisements or profile you would be able to specify this, so that potential clients are aware of your areas of expertise and can decide initially whether or not you would be suitable in helping them overcome their difficulties.
Regulation
It is proposed that in 2010 / 2011 counselling will become regulated by the Health Professions Council; this is an independent council which does not belong to any interest group or professional body. This means that only people who are registered with the Health Professions Council will be able to legally refer to themselves as a counsellor, as by regulating a profession, the professional title becomes protected.
Communication
Communication is a complex, but necessary process in counselling. Without good communication, it is unlikely that your client will gain any benefit from their sessions. In order to develop good communication skills you need to be aware of yourself and understand how reflection is an important tool.
Listening
Listening is a process in which the counsellor needs to listen to what the client says, understand what has been said in their own way, and then make a judgement about what has been said; messages are not always conveyed verbally in what the client says, so the counsellor needs to be aware of the non‐verbal messages too. It is for these reasons it is called ‘active listening’.
Validation
Validation is an important part of therapy and consists of:
- Mindful listening
- Reflecting and acknowledging
- Clarifying and summarising
- Putting problem behaviour in a larger context
- Normalising
Goal setting
The aim of therapy is to help clients manage their difficulties more effectively and to help them become better at helping themselves; essentially therapy encourages clients to become their own therapist, by teaching them the necessary skills.
Egan identifies four stages in the Helper Model:
1. Exploration of current scenario
2. Understanding of preferred scenario
3. Action strategies
4. How do I make it happen?
This article has been put together by the distance learning organisation Start Learning who are experts in home study. If you want to find out more about Advanced Counselling or many other distance learning courses please browse their website: http://www.start-learning.co.uk
A good way to work towards working as Counsellor is to sign up for a distance learning course on the subject. By studying in your free time and pace, you can gain the necessary knowledge while tailoring it to suit your schedule.
Kerrana McAvoy
Academic Director – Start Learning
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