{"id":1245,"date":"2022-05-05T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T00:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1245"},"modified":"2023-02-20T09:25:36","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T22:25:36","slug":"how-to-know-if-a-counselling-career-is-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-know-if-a-counselling-career-is-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Know If a Counselling Career is Right for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1239\" src=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist.jpg 900w, https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you like the idea of having a career in which you can help others, counselling is worth considering. As relational beings, people experience a range of emotions and as a counsellor, you can help people to make sense of them.<\/p>\n<p>In the UK, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalhealth.org.uk\/statistics\/mental-health-statistics-people-seeking-help\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">one in eight<\/a> adults seeks help for their mental health. Common mental health problems include depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias and panic disorder. Yet it\u2019s estimated that 75% of people with mental health issues don&#8217;t get access to the help they need.<\/p>\n<p>Opportunities for paid counselling work are increasing. As a career field, counselling has grown steadily and is projected to continue. Counselling professions include a range of different titles and specialisms, with practitioners working in settings ranging from healthcare and education to corporate workplaces and voluntary groups. No matter what the counselling profession you choose, as a counsellor you\u2019ll play a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of society.<\/p>\n<h2>How to know if a counselling career is right for you<\/h2>\n<p>Your journey to becoming a counsellor starts with understanding the qualities of a good counsellor and the <a href=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/courses\/health-fitness\/counselling-psychology\/\">right counselling course<\/a>. It can be personally and emotionally challenging to counsel others and you need to think about how it will affect you and your family. Studying counselling also requires time and dedication and some social engagement such as surveys, questionnaires and role play. The good news is that the rewards and satisfaction once you have qualified will outweigh any initial hardships.<\/p>\n<p>To be a counsellor there are <a href=\"https:\/\/post.edu\/blog\/the-traits-that-will-help-you-thrive-as-a-counselor\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">certain traits<\/a> you\u2019ll need to possess. You\u2019ll need to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Work with and communicate with people from all backgrounds<\/li>\n<li>Be warm, open, empathetic and able to gain people\u2019s trust<\/li>\n<li>Be patient, tolerant and non-judgemental of other people\u2019s attitudes<\/li>\n<li>Be confident to set boundaries, communicate ideas and provide guidance<\/li>\n<li>Look for ways to continually improve your skills and learn new counselling techniques<\/li>\n<li>Use your powers of observation to fill in the gaps when clients aren\u2019t being transparent<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrate respect at all times<\/li>\n<li>Be self-aware and aware of your own struggles and able to separate your own experiences from theirs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='blog_banner'>\n                <a href='\/courses\/health-fitness\/counselling-psychology\/'>\n                    <div class='blog_banner_link'>\n                        Find <strong>Counselling & Psychology<\/strong> Courses with <strong>ICI<\/strong>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class='blog_banner_more'>Learn More<\/div>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/div><h2>5 reasons you should become a counsellor<\/h2>\n<p>Counsellors help people who are doing it tough every day. They help by being an active listener for their clients, by providing advice and by giving people a voice when they need it most. If you\u2019re not sure whether being a counsellor is the right career for you, here are 5 reasons why you should consider it:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. You\u2019re a people person<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A people person is someone who is <a href=\"https:\/\/matterapp.com\/blog\/how-to-be-a-people-person#:~:text=A%20people%20person%20is%20skilled,interacting%20or%20talking%20with%20others.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">skilled in influence<\/a>, interpersonal facilitation, relational creativity and leadership. You\u2019re a person who enjoys interacting and talking with others and you often find your friends and family turning to you to talk about their feelings or when seeking advice. As a people person, you\u2019re not just a smooth talker; you demonstrate attentiveness, care and eagerness to listen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. You\u2019re a problem solver<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When working as a counsellor, no two clients are the same. What works for one might not work for another, which means you will need to come up with fresh ideas and think creatively when tackling a problem. If you have the ability to think on your feet and respond to difficult or stressful situations in a calm manner, you\u2019re well-placed to be a counsellor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. You\u2019re patient<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Patience is the ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.counseling.org\/docs\/default-source\/vistas\/article_02.pdf?sfvrsn=d8813bbd_16\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">remain calm<\/a> and self-possessed when confronted with delay or resistance. In counselling, it is a willingness to \u201ctrust the process\u201d rather than try to move too quickly and it is the state of tolerating frustrating or difficult circumstances. A good sign that you\u2019re a patient person is if you can suppress your annoyance when things aren\u2019t going exactly as you\u2019d hoped they would.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. You\u2019re a strong communicator<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How you communicate with others will determine how good a counsellor you will be. If you can articulate your thoughts in a clear and concise way, you\u2019ll establish a good rapport with others. Good communication requires you to be empathetic and to put yourself in other people\u2019s shoes. This way you can relay information and advice that\u2019s relatable and easily understood.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. You\u2019re resilient<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Empathy in validating other people\u2019s suffering makes a counsellor vulnerable to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychiatrictimes.com\/view\/vicarious-trauma-clinicians-fostering-resilience-and-preventing-burnout\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">vicarious trauma<\/a> and compassion fatigue. This can result in negative changes in your view of self, others and the world. Being able to praise yourself for your achievements and reward yourself for what you have accomplished is a good sign that you\u2019re a resilient person. Having interests and hobbies and close relationships with friends and family who can support you will also make you more resilient.<\/p>\n<h2>How to become a counsellor<\/h2>\n<p>Initial enrollment and completion of a <a href=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/courses\/health-fitness\/counselling-psychology\/\">diploma in counselling<\/a> is a great first step in your journey to becoming a counsellor. An advanced degree will help you to <a href=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-become-a-counsellor\/\">develop counselling skills<\/a> and professional counselling practises. From there you can seek further professional development through membership in UK professional organisations, such as the National Counselling Society (NCS).<\/p>\n<p>Once qualified, your skills open you up to a range of career options. You can choose a rewarding career as a relationship counsellor, financial counsellor, youth worker, family support worker or private practitioner. You can work in disability support, schools, workplaces and rehabilitation. Your options are near limitless.<\/p>\n<p>Get started and <a href=\"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/how-to-enrol\/\">enrol today<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you like the idea of having a career in which you can help others, counselling is worth considering. As relational beings, people experience a range of emotions and as a counsellor, you can help people to make sense of them. In the UK, one in eight adults seeks help for their mental health. Common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-careers"],"acf":[],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Psychologist.jpg",900,600,false]},"categories_names":{"17":{"name":"Health &amp; Fitness Careers","link":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/health-careers\/"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icieducation.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}