I would like to learn counselling (psychologist, counselor, therapy, college)
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I would like to learn counselling but I really think that the human approach is a better one than the more academic approach.
Many of the courses appear to be more academically-orientated in that they teach about the history and technical attributes and the causes and its effects, whereas I would like to learn about techniques and a more hands-on human approach.
I believe that the better way to go is to learn to become a good listener and to reflect back to the client and allow them to essentially identify their own problem and solution rather than giving advice which I do not believe counsellors should do.
Am I living in lal-la land in these beliefs or is it a viable way to go? If it is, then I need to find a method which is less academic and more practical in nature. Any ideas? I think I am looking for, not a university degree but a practical certificate given out by a reputable organisation which holds some credibility. Is there such an organisation?
Each state has specific rules about licensing for counselors. Most will require some type of college or university education.
First you need to identify what type of counseling you want to do. Your idea of just listening to people and reflecting back is a bit naive. Good counselors ask questions and do more than just parrot what a person says. The way they learn to ask good questions is through deep knowledge and understanding of how humans think. That kind of knowledge is generally what one acquires in a degree program.
Having seen a therapist for many years, I personally would never consider seeing someone that did not have a degree and continuing education. My therapist, a LCSW, certainly advised me many times. He didn't direct me to take specific actions, but he made me aware of my sometimes flawed thinking and suggested methods of thinking differently.
Have you ever attended counseling? I ask because your questions indicate some misconceptions about what a good counselor does. It's more than a "listening" friend.
There are MANY types of counseling/therapy, but for the most part all typically require at least a master’s degree or a PhD. I have a friend who has a PhD and she was telling me that she had to tell her niece that she wasn’t going to get anywhere without at least the master’s degree. There are also lots of different types of licenses you can get- LPC, LCPC, LCSW, BCBA, LMFT, psychologist, school psychologist, etc. I had a coworker go into peer counseling at the VA, which I don’t think required a master’s degree, but AFAIK he was pursing an advanced degree at the time he switched jobs and was a disabled veteran himself. My guess is that it was a good way for him to get paid while he was getting his clinical hours. I worked in a state agency and we hired people in what was basically a training position on a contract basis that paid the person while they did their clinical hours.
The first thing you need to do is look at the certifications in your state and figure out which type of certification works best for your interests. As part of the licensing, you will be required to do clinical hours regardless of which one you choose.
Each state has specific rules about licensing for counselors. Most will require some type of college or university education.
First you need to identify what type of counseling you want to do. Your idea of just listening to people and reflecting back is a bit naive. Good counselors ask questions and do more than just parrot what a person says. The way they learn to ask good questions is through deep knowledge and understanding of how humans think. That kind of knowledge is generally what one acquires in a degree program.
Having seen a therapist for many years, I personally would never consider seeing someone that did not have a degree and continuing education. My therapist, a LCSW, certainly advised me many times. He didn't direct me to take specific actions, but he made me aware of my sometimes flawed thinking and suggested methods of thinking differently.
Have you ever attended counseling? I ask because your questions indicate some misconceptions about what a good counselor does. It's more than a "listening" friend.
This post is really about trying to find out what kind of counselling course I should take.
I dont think it is naive. I had a lot of counselling when my teenage stepson was going through his rebellious stage. I guess we have to disagree on what makes a good counsellor and what they do, because my vision does not match what you are describing yet I am sure there are many different schools of thought on this.
My concept is that a client should be finding out more about themself and becoming a more tolerant and balanced human being and that cannot happen when a therapist has not had a great deal of therapy themselves. Until they know more about what makes themselves 'tick' how can they not filter the client's issues through their own?
A university degree is probably not a good place to get that personal therapy, since it requires academic study and knowledge which is not that practical but aimed at obtaining a qualification at the end of the course.
I am sure it is "horses for courses" and there are good therapist/client matches out there, but I do not want to be the kind of therapist who has to see a client for years, partly because counselling is expensive and partly because of my belief each person needs to develop themselves, work through their issues by self realising and growing within. Now you are going to say I sound like a 1960's hippie, well maybe I am...Flower Power and Make Love Not War.
As a therapist, I am not sure we should be determining what is flawed thinking or judging what someone else(our client) is doing, but possibly we should be helping them work through and reflect on some of their issues which causes them to seek our help.
This is why I said I was not looking for a particularly academic course, because I think a good understanding of human nature comes not from intellectually understanding how they think but from an innate wish to help them resolve their life problems.
This post is really about trying to find out what kind of counselling course I should take.
I dont think it is naive. I had a lot of counselling when my teenage stepson was going through his rebellious stage. I guess we have to disagree on what makes a good counsellor and what they do, because my vision does not match what you are describing yet I am sure there are many different schools of thought on this.
My concept is that a client should be finding out more about themself and becoming a more tolerant and balanced human being and that cannot happen when a therapist has not had a great deal of therapy themselves. Until they know more about what makes themselves 'tick' how can they not filter the client's issues through their own?
A university degree is probably not a good place to get that personal therapy, since it requires academic study and knowledge which is not that practical but aimed at obtaining a qualification at the end of the course.
I am sure it is "horses for courses" and there are good therapist/client matches out there, but I do not want to be the kind of therapist who has to see a client for years, partly because counselling is expensive and partly because of my belief each person needs to develop themselves, work through their issues by self realising and growing within. Now you are going to say I sound like a 1960's hippie, well maybe I am...Flower Power and Make Love Not War.
As a therapist, I am not sure we should be determining what is flawed thinking or judging what someone else(our client) is doing, but possibly we should be helping them work through and reflect on some of their issues which causes them to seek our help.
This is why I said I was not looking for a particularly academic course, because I think a good understanding of human nature comes not from intellectually understanding how they think but from an innate wish to help them resolve their life problems.
Have you had ANY courses in psychology?
You won't be able to be licensed without having certain qualifications. It's great to "care for people" and be "empathetic". Being a good therapist requires more than just handing your client a tissue. I'm not being entirely facetious - only people who need the barest of counseling can get by with a therapist with little training. Just being in therapy yourself is NOT a qualification - it gives you a bit of familiarity but none of the training. Unless you want to be a hippie dippie "life counselor" with no certifications, you do need formal training. All bets are off if you're in a foreign country.
Seems to me it would be pretty easy to find needy people who want to use their friends as a therapist (read: sounding board), or lonely people on the fringes of society who are starving for someone to talk to, if your goal is to just sit and listen to someone get things off their chest.
And, of course, don't forget the liability insurance...
I would like to learn counselling but I really think that the human approach is a better one than the more academic approach.
Many of the courses appear to be more academically-orientated in that they teach about the history and technical attributes and the causes and its effects, whereas I would like to learn about techniques and a more hands-on human approach.
I believe that the better way to go is to learn to become a good listener and to reflect back to the client and allow them to essentially identify their own problem and solution rather than giving advice which I do not believe counsellors should do.
Am I living in lal-la land in these beliefs or is it a viable way to go? If it is, then I need to find a method which is less academic and more practical in nature. Any ideas? I think I am looking for, not a university degree but a practical certificate given out by a reputable organisation which holds some credibility. Is there such an organisation?
What are you basing your opinions on?
I went to graduate school in psychology. I am familiar with the programs in other schools. I don't think you have a clue what you're talking about. There is theory and practice and all of it is taught.
What actual research have you done on schools? Schools have different focuses and different curriculums, but all good schools teach theory and practice.
Where are you getting the idea that "advice" is being taught?
OP, you need to learn the history of counseling, technical attributes, and causes and effects. That's an important part of the background you need to have. From that, you learn what works, what hasn't worked in the past and why, the advantages of current methods, and basically, the evolution of psychotherapy as a practice. That history will help guide you.
Of course it's not the only aspect to a career in therapy. All education in psychotherapy has a practical side, very much so. You need both (and more) for a balanced background.
There are some "schools" of therapy that practice the old-fashioned way, the old Freudian cliche of the therapist sitting passively taking notes while the patient blathers on. That type of therapy tends to take years, and doesn't achieve much for a lot of people. It does seem to help others. But there are other (more "modern", you could call them) methods that help the client resolve their issues and go off to be a more effective person in their life within a reasonable amount of time: 1-2 years, roughly, depending on the case, obviously.
Without lengthy training, you can find yourself in over your head, if, for example, you have a client with trauma in their background. Techniques like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and others won't go to the root of the patient's issue and help heal a trauma that has far-reaching repercussions for their interactions with others, their self-esteem, etc.
And it's really easy to go wrong as a therapist. All kinds of New Age ideas have crept into the counseling field. There are psychologists/counselors out there, who coach their clients on how to "strengthen their aura" to ward off predatory people. And if someone needs to learn how to have good boundaries, you'd have to be able to convey that skill without inadvertently blaming the victim for and past incidents of people violating their boundaries. There are all kinds of pitfalls in counseling, that you need to learn to avoid.
I think some community colleges offer a certification program for counseling. You could check around and start with that. I would think, that in such a case, your scope of practice would be very limited. But maybe that's just what you're looking for: people without deep issues who need help managing day-to-day life, or finding a direction in life. Kind of like a social worker.
One of your local community colleges could have something for you, if you really want to go through with this. Find a program and read the program and course descriptions. See if you're still interested after that.
Thank you all for your thoughts. I just hope most of you are not in practice somewhere.
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