Tips on how to start a career in counselling

Embarking in a career in counselling can open the door to a whole host of new and exciting opportunities. As part of your job role, you will help people from all walks of life to identify their issues, come to terms with them and solve them.

There are a wide variety of career options available for those looking to pursue a career in counselling. There are also a number of speciality areas that you can explore, including educational and school counselling, marriage and family counselling, career counsellors, mental health counsellors, rehabilitation counselling, and substance abuse and behaviour counselling.

All of these opportunities are incredibly rewarding and will allow you to make a huge difference to the lives of others that are struggling.

If you’re looking to start a career in counselling, you’ve certainly landed in the right place! We have created a helpful guide outlining our top tips on how you can get the ball rolling!

Do you have the skills needed to become a good counsellor?

First and foremost, if you are considering becoming a counsellor, you should ask yourself whether or not you have the skills to become a good counsellor and build a therapeutic relationship with your client.

It’s also important that you adopt a non-judgemental approach when talking to your clients. After all, it’s not your job to pass judgement but instead, give advice that will help your clients to work through their problems.

Your work should focus on helping your clients to see things more clearly, express their thoughts openly and honestly and of course, you should always respect confidentiality and professional boundaries.

Counselling is not for everyone and, before you pursue this career further, it’s important to establish whether you have the mindset and skills needed to flourish in this career.

Counselling training

The best way to become a counsellor is to complete the relevant training in the field that you want to progress in. And, although you don't need a degree to train to be a counsellor, you will need to complete relevant training courses.

There is a wide range of professional training providers which provide a variety of courses that will allow you to kick start your career as a fully-fledged counsellor. Many providers offer courses that specialise in specific areas of counselling such as marriage, trauma, and children and young people. Whatever area of counselling you wish to pursue, a training course will give you the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your career goals.

A good starting point is to complete an introductory course to counselling as this will give you an idea of whether or not this is the right career choice for you.

Higher education

First degrees in related subjects such as nursing, psychology, education and social work are also seen as being incredibly useful for those thinking about starting a career in counselling. In fact, gaining this level of experience can often give you a head start when it comes to looking for work throughout the industry.

At Chrysalis Courses, we offer a range of courses to help you start a career in counselling. Explore our hypnotherapy and counselling courses to take the first steps towards a career in counselling or see information on how to become a counsellor. If you have any questions or to discuss the options available, please get in touch.